Give Me Your Fermi Problems
In week four of my spring Science & Survival course, my students will be learning about Fermi problems and they will be expected to complete a few themselves. I have some, but I would like about thirty-five of them, so that I can assign a specific problem to a specific student.
Here's my challenge to you: reply with a good Fermi problem, one that is appropriate for a first-year college student (assume knowledge of powers of ten), but that is challenging enough that the answer just doesn't pop up right away on a Google search.
Any Fermi problem solution that a student gives to me cannot just be a naked number. It has to show a series of logical assumptions and steps.
Here are a few examples of Fermi problems:
"How many balloons does it take to fill a classroom?"
"How much will Americans spend on ordering pizzas in 2009?"
"How much will a moderate smoker spend on cigarettes in a year?"
Here's my challenge to you: reply with a good Fermi problem, one that is appropriate for a first-year college student (assume knowledge of powers of ten), but that is challenging enough that the answer just doesn't pop up right away on a Google search.
Any Fermi problem solution that a student gives to me cannot just be a naked number. It has to show a series of logical assumptions and steps.
Here are a few examples of Fermi problems:
"How many balloons does it take to fill a classroom?"
"How much will Americans spend on ordering pizzas in 2009?"
"How much will a moderate smoker spend on cigarettes in a year?"