Spin the wheel: custom wheel spinner

How the wheel picks a result

The result is chosen before the animation using your browser's cryptographic random generator. Every slice has the same chance, whatever its size or color. The animation then brings the wheel to rest exactly on the chosen slice.

\[ \begin{gathered} \text{chance of each option} = \dfrac{1}{\text{number of options}} \\ \text{spin} = 5 \, \text{to} \ 7 \, \text{full turns} + \text{the angle to the winning slice} \end{gathered} \]

The wheel slows down with exponential friction: fast at the start, slower and slower at the end, like a physical wheel.

Ways to use a spinner wheel

To make one option more likely, type it on several lines: three "Pizza" lines out of ten gives pizza a 30% chance.

Customize the wheel

• Colors: five ready-made palettes or three colors of your own.
• Sound: a small tick for every slice passed and a fanfare at the end, which you can turn off.
• Remove the result: handy to give everyone a turn without repeats.
• Memory: your list and settings stay on your device only.

If your device is set to reduce motion, the wheel jumps straight to the result instead of spinning.

Wheel spinner: giving one option better odds

By default, every wedge has the same chance. So with 5 wedges, each option comes up 1 time in 5, or 20%.

To weight the wheel, enter an option more than once. For example, pizza listed twice on 5 wedges rises to 40%, and the other three options drop to 20% each.

Just be upfront with the group: announce the weights before you spin.

Wheel spinner for class, family and live streams

People like the wheel because it makes the draw visible. So everyone can see that nobody is choosing.

• In class, it picks a student, an exercise or a presentation topic.
• At home, it decides dinner, an outing or whose turn it is to clean.
• On a stream, it settles viewer challenges or comment picks.
• At work, it sets the speaking order for a meeting.

Also, remove each winner from the list when you want everyone to go exactly once. Finally, put the screen on a projector for more impact with a group.

Wheel spinner or another random tool?

A wheel suits lists of 3 to 12 options. For longer lists, other tools read more clearly.

• For a long list of names, use the random name picker.
• For two options, flip a coin.
• For a result from 1 to 6, roll the dice.

Then pick whichever tool makes your decision easiest for the group to accept.

Wheel spinner: writing good wedge labels

Well-written labels make the wheel easier to read. So keep them short: one to three words is plenty.

Then avoid wedges that look alike. For example, "pizza" and "pizzeria" blur together on screen. Also, keep the number of wedges reasonable so each color stays visible on a phone.

Finally, test the wheel before you show it to the group. A quick spin confirms that your labels fit and that the sound works for you.

Wheel spinner: ideas for teachers

Teachers love the wheel because it keeps a class awake. So try a few simple formats.

• Spin to pick who answers the next question.
• Spin to choose the warm-up activity.
• Spin to assign a topic for a short talk.
• Spin to reward the team that finished first.

For example, put ten vocabulary words on the wheel and ask the chosen student to use the word in a sentence. Then take that word off, so the class covers all ten. Students pay more attention when they know their name may come up next.

Wheel spinner: why the result feels fair

People trust a spinning wheel because they see it move. First, the labels are visible before the spin. Next, the slowdown looks natural. Then the pointer stops on a clear wedge. So nobody doubts the outcome.

You can add to that trust. For example, show the list on screen, spin once, and keep the result. Finally, avoid re-spinning when you dislike the answer, because that undoes the whole point of using chance.