Pick a Number 1 Through 5: A Fair Pick on a 5-Point Scale: how it works
Pick a number 1 through 5 and one tap answers 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5. Five is a star rating, a survey scale and a hand of fingers, so a result can be held up across a noisy room. It suits a guessing game, a five-way choice or sample ratings for a lesson.
The pick a number 1 to 5 guessing game
One person thinks of a number and the other guesses. A blind guess is right 1 time in 5, and with higher or lower hints three guesses always do it: start at 3. If a prize rides on it, do not choose in your head, where a friend who knows your habits has an edge: press with the screen hidden.
A 5-point scale and its middle
A Likert scale, named after the psychologist Rensis Likert (say LICK-ert), typically offers five or seven answers: here 1 is strongly disagree, 5 is strongly agree and 3 is neither. An even count removes that middle and forces a side. Tap '7-point scale' for the longer form. For a maths class, set how many to 20: twenty sample ratings for a mean, median and mode exercise, with the average printed underneath as a check.
Tips
- None of the five Platonic solids has five faces: they have 4, 6, 8, 12 and 20. With real dice, halve a d10 roll, rounding up and reading 0 as 10.
- Five chores, five children? Ask for 5 numbers with repeats off and read them down the list of names: one of 120 possible orders.
- Mocking up a review page? Ask for 12 numbers with repeats on, then Copy a dozen sample star ratings.
Questions and answers
Can I leave 1 and 5 out?
Yes: set the lowest box to 2 and the highest to 4. As the page opens both ends are in, since pick a number one through five means five possible answers, the 5 included.
Is odd or even from 1 to 5 a fair coin flip?
No. Three of the five numbers are odd, so odd wins 60% of the time. For a two-way call, use the coin flip simulator. Each number on its own keeps a 20% chance, made in your browser: fine for games, not for a draw with money at stake.
Can I draw half stars, or a scale that starts at 0?
Yes, with the quick ranges above the boxes. 'Half stars, 2 to 10' draws a whole number to halve, which gives 1, 1.5, 2 and so on up to 5. '0 to 5' adds a zero: six outcomes, 1 in 6 each. '1 to 5 stars' puts the page back to pick a number 1-5.