​How Random Is The Average Coin Toss?

​It seems obvious that a coin with two sides should have a 50/50 chance of landing on either side, but is it really that simple? One thing that might be taken for granted when considering the physics of a coin toss is that the coin itself has no width, which is impossible in nature. In order to maintain randomness within a reasonable margin of error, the width of a coin must be within a certain range in order for either side to be equally likely to occur. A study conducted by Physics Today found that in order for a coin to be effective, the side to width ratio must be roughly √3 to 1. The average quarter has a width of .024M and a side length of .0017M, meaning it has a side to width ratio of roughly .07 to one. This is likely far enough away from the recommended ratio to make a difference, although it would be difficult to notice in a small sample size.