Opening Boxes of Tablets

J

Jimmy Jazz

Well-known member
As most of you will be aware, inside boxes of tablets are a set of instructions. These instructions are curled around the tablets at one end and are open at the other end, leading to easy egress of the tablets at that end. There is no way of knowing which is the 'easy' end and which is the 'non-easy' end when unopened.

By law of averages you would expect around a 50/50 success rate of opening the easy end. Whereas I do not have any empirical evidence and have not kept any figures I reckon it is about 90/10 in favour of opening at the non easy end.

How can that be?

1st world problem vol.1
 
Agreed, without fail I open up the box at the wrong end every time.
 
Jimmy Jazz said:
As most of you will be aware, inside boxes of tablets are a set of instructions. These instructions are curled around the tablets at one end and are open at the other end, leading to easy egress of the tablets at that end. There is no way of knowing which is the 'easy' end and which is the 'non-easy' end when unopened.

By law of averages you would expect around a 50/50 success rate of opening the easy end. Whereas I do not have any empirical evidence and have not kept any figures I reckon it is about 90/10 in favour of opening at the non easy end.

How can that be?

1st world problem vol.1
Click to expand...
The weight of the curl from the instructions means the balance is tipped and you will always go to the heavier side and therefore are 90% likely to use your dominant hand to open that end. Source US Psychology Monthly April 1954.
 
Jimmy Jazz said:
As most of you will be aware, inside boxes of tablets are a set of instructions. These instructions are curled around the tablets at one end and are open at the other end, leading to easy egress of the tablets at that end. There is no way of knowing which is the 'easy' end and which is the 'non-easy' end when unopened.

By law of averages you would expect around a 50/50 success rate of opening the easy end. Whereas I do not have any empirical evidence and have not kept any figures I reckon it is about 90/10 in favour of opening at the non easy end.

How can that be?

1st world problem vol.1
Click to expand...
Just done the very same with my iron tablets.
 
I always assumed that it was because, being right handed, you open the right side with the front label in front of you, and the boxing machines top fill in the same orientation, leaflet last.

But what do I know ? 🤣
 
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