We present a fun activity that can be used to introduce students to error analysis: the M&M game. Students are told to estimate the number of individual candies plus uncertainty in a bag of M&M's. The winner is the group whose estimate brackets the actual number with the smallest uncertainty. The exercise produces enthusiastic discussions and serves as a good “mixer” for the first day of a laboratory class.

1.
Saalih
Allie
et al., “
Teaching measurement in the introductory physics laboratory
,”
Phys. Teach.
41
,
394
401
(Oct.
2003
).
2.
Candy can also be used for statistical activities; see
Chuck
Stone
, “
‘Sweetening’ technical physics with Hershey's Kisses
,”
Phys. Teach.
41
,
234
237
(April
2003
).
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