Option B- Fermi ?'s

What are Fermi questions?

Examples:

How many drops of water are in the Great Lakes?
If every person in the world stood on a scale, what would be their total weight, in ounces?

Fermi questions (or Fermi problems) are questions that are answered through a series of estimations and unit conversions. Feel free to check Wikipedia for more information and to find out more about Fermi problems and the famous Italian physicist they are named for, Enrico Fermi.

Example:

How many dollar bills, stacked on top of each other, would it take to reach from the floor to the ceiling in our classroom?

There are a few things we will need to know to solve this problem:

How thick is a dollar bill?
What kind of dollar bills are we using? U.S. currency or money from another country?
Are the dollar bills brand new or worn? Does it make a difference?
How far is it from the ceiling to the floor?

Assumptions & Estimates

Some of the questions have real answers, but other answers are up to you. We will call these assumptions. For example, you might assume that we are using circulated U.S. $1 bills.

You will also make some estimates. For example, you might have a group member who you know is 6 feet tall. When they stand by the wall, you can estimate about how tall the ceiling is. Or you could use a ruler and get an even closer estimate. Your measurements don't have to be perfectly accurate as long as it is reasonable and you explain how you got the numbers. Let's say that you get 10 ft. as the height of the room.

Next, you could stack up ten $1 bills and measure the height of the stack. Let's say that you measure 1/16 of an inch. Now it's time to do some math:

Your Challenge:

Select at least 5 problems from the list below. Keep track of all of your measurements, assumptions, and calculations. Once you have your answers, create a presentation (Google Slides, poster, video, etc.) to show your answers and explain the process for each. You also need to include a graphic(s) (i.e. a picture/video) for each question.

1. How many tennis balls would it take to fill our classroom?

2. How many blades of grass are on a football field?

3. How long would it take you to walk from Lehman High School to New York City?

4. If everyone on Earth stood on a scale, what would the total weight be (in pounds)?

5. How many grains of rice are in a ten pound bag?

6. How many sticky notes would it take to cover every wall in every classroom at Lehman?

7. How many times will your heart beat in 2019?

8. How many toothpicks could be made from a telephone pole?

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