When you flip a coin in the air why is it that you can only?

Question

see the side that was up, what I mean is, if I flip a quarter heads up, when it is spinning through the air I can only see heads, when I flip it tails up, I only see tails, can this be explained?

Answer 1

probability,if you flip more,you'll see the different sides.

Answer 2

I have no idea, because I just tried it.

I couldn't even tell what it was as it was spinning through the air.

Answer 3

Expansion of musicman's answer:

The brain analysis by binary choice [as with software] what the eye sees. In a confused, known possibility [only two in this case], the brain picks the one last locked in.

This happens, only when you want to know, one of two possibilities.

Answer 4

Because your vision is not actually steady. There are dark spots in between and your brain fills these in with animation. It is called persistance of vision. You can't track with the flipping fast enough with your eyes your brain takes care of that by probabaly enlongating your image of it. Or the split second you see it your brain is recording that for the animation.

That along with before you flip the coin you've pre choosen a spot to keep track of it at, it's probably a natrual primitive reaction.

Good Question though

Answer 5

No idea.

Answer 6

Because that image is locked into your head.  It's like when you got your car, you started noticing that many others have the same car as you do.