Plinko Probability Simulator — Galton Board and Binomial Distribution Visualization
The Plinko Probability Simulator is an interactive Galton board (also called a bean machine or quincunx) that demonstrates how the binomial distribution and the central limit theorem emerge from repeated random binary choices. Balls are dropped from the top of a peg-filled board; at each peg the ball bounces left or right with equal probability, and over many drops the pile of balls at the bottom forms a bell curve that approximates the normal distribution.
Users can control the number of rows of pegs, the drop rate, and the number of balls dropped simultaneously. As the simulation runs, a histogram updates in real time below the board, and the theoretical normal distribution curve is overlaid for comparison. The simulation clearly demonstrates why the normal distribution is so ubiquitous in nature and statistics: it is the expected outcome whenever a result is determined by many independent random factors.
Keywords: Plinko simulator, Galton board, binomial distribution visualization, normal distribution demo, probability simulation, central limit theorem, quincunx simulation, statistics education tool, bell curve demonstration, random probability experiment