Deriving the Formula | Using the Formula | Buffon Applet | Science Pages
Worsley School
This is where we will display the results of all data we have received, and show the calculated value of Pi, using the formula:
You can see where this formula comes from on the 'Pi From Toothpicks' page. You can see how to use it, and send us your results, on the 'Calculating Pi' page. Or try out our Buffon Applet to run the experiment now for instant results!
Preliminary Results:
(Remember: toothpick length (56mm) and line separation (60mm) are fixed).
Just to get things started, we did the experiment ourselves, using 300 toothpick drops. Here's what happened:
- 300 toothpicks dropped
- 178 were touching a line
We had the Worsley School grade 9 math class try the experiment. They did a lot more trials, and obtained these results:
- 1858 toothpicks dropped
- 1313 were touching a line
Additional results have also come in from two classes in Etobicoke, Ontario (thank you to Mr. Curran's classes):
- 2500 toothpicks dropped
- 965 were touching a line
And from Oak Ridge School in Oak Ridge, MO,. USA, where teacher Carole Del Vecchio had her grade 10 and 12 classes try the experiment; totals there were:
- 890 toothpicks dropped
- 561 were touching a line
More results, this time from Dr. Chien's Grade 7 class in QingDao, at David Thompson Primary School:
- 99 toothpicks dropped
- 2 were touching a line
and from Arne Sleire's Grade 1 class in Stavanger, Norway:
- 1000 toothpicks dropped
- 854 were touching a line
and next from Mr. Wert's class in Harpeth Hall School in Nashville, TN, who were celebrating 'PI Day':
- 1593 toothpicks dropped
- 956 were touching a line
and a large number of trials from Niek Brokamp's grade 4 class at Ashram College in Holland:
- 10,000 toothpicks dropped
- 5942 were touching a line
and more from Bill Bassett's 7th and 8th grade classes at Integrated Day Charter School
in Norwich, Connecticut:
- 14,824 toothpicks dropped
- 9291 were touching a line
and results from Mrs. Vijaya Srinivasan's grade 10 math class in Lady Andal Venkatasubba Rao Matriculation Higher Secondary School, in Chennai, India:
- 30 toothpicks dropped
- 18 were touching a line
Totals so far:
- 32,995 toothpicks dropped
- 20,078 were touching a line
Value of Pi generated:
3.0676
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We're still narrowing it down, but those of you who've been following the results will have noted that the value is bobbing ip and down as it approaches the true value. We know it will take many tens of thousands of additional trials to improve the accuracy. That's where you come in! We need your results!
Try the experiment! Then send us your results; we'll post them here, and recalculate Pi.
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