I answer the question ‘‘Why are there more small things in the world than large things?’’ in terms of a probabilisitc model of partitioning a conserved quantity. Benford’s empirical rule for lists of numbers, that the proportion of numbers with first digit m is log10(m+1)−log10 m, is an exact consequence of the model.
Topics
Probability theory
This content is only available via PDF.
© 1986 American Association of Physics Teachers.
1986
American Association of Physics Teachers
AAPT members receive access to the American Journal of Physics and The Physics Teacher as a member benefit. To learn more about this member benefit and becoming an AAPT member, visit the Joining AAPT page.
