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JavaScript JavaScript Basics (Retired) Working With Numbers Create a random number

kelley riley
kelley riley
3,159 Points

Why is the correct solution correct? It is different from just the die roll from earlier.

During the die roll example, we had: (Math.floor(Math.random() * 6) + 1);

But for our solution it's: document.write(Math.floor(Math.random() * secondNum - firstNum) + firstNum);

Why do we have to subtract the min value from the max value? Why wasn't that necessary in the die roll app?

1 Answer

Steven Parker
Steven Parker
231,271 Points

The die roll is a special case of the more general formula.

Also, you didn't get that formula quite right, its actually this:
Math.floor( Math.random() * (secondNum - firstNum + 1) ) + firstNum

Where firstNum is the lowest number of the range, and secondNum is the highest. This formula works for any range. But if we are simulating a die roll, we know that that firstNum is 1 and secondNum is 6. So we can plug those into the formula and get this:
Math.floor( Math.random() * (6 - 1 + 1) ) + 1

Now since (6 - 1 + 1) is the same as 6, we can simplify it even further to just this:
Math.floor(Math.random() * 6) + 1

...which is exactly what you used for the die roll example.

kelley riley
kelley riley
3,159 Points

Thanks for you correction. I think that's the main issue I was having with this code.