Other Physics Commons^™

Question 1: Dinosaur Killer Crater; Question 2: Graduation Speeches, Larry Weinstein

Physics Faculty Publications

The Fermi Questions: In 2003, the "Dinosaur Killer" asteroid crater was imaged for the first time (see National Geographic News, March 7, 2003). The crater is believed to be 100 km in radius and 1 km deep. What was the kinetic energy of the asteroid that made the crater? Express your answer in joules and in megatons (1 MT = 4 ·10 J).

Question 1: Space Telescope; Question 2: Jwst2, Larry Weinstein

Physics Faculty Publications

[Introduction] Space telescope

Question 1: If the James Webb Space Telescope could be turned to face Earth, how small an object could it resolve? How does that compare to the Hubble Space Telescope? ...

Question 2: How much heat from Earth is blocked by the Sun and Earth shade of the James Webb Space Telescope? ...

Question: While I was at a Norfolk Tides baseball game, a foul ball landed in the section above me and showered some of my friends with beer. What is the probability of a foul ball landing directly in a cup of beer during one …

Question 1: Chess Moves; Question 2: Cat Litter, Larry Weinstein

Physics Faculty Publications

How many chess moves are made by Americans each year?

How much cat litter did Americans scoop last year?

Solutions For Fermi Questions, May 2019: Question 1: Graduation Speeches; Question 2: Fan Propulsion, Larry Weinstein

Physics Faculty Publications

[Introduction] How many person-hoursare spent listening to graduation speeches each year? How long is this in lifetimes?

Answer: Just about everyone graduates high school and goes to their graduation, usually with guests. Only about 30% of Americans (more than 10% and less than 100% graduate college, so we will ignore those graduates. Therefore we need to estimate the number of graduating high school seniors, the number of guests per senior, and the length of the graduation speeches.

Question 1: Iceberg To Los Angeles, Question 2: Lost Luggage, Larry Weinstein

Physics Faculty Publications

How much fuel would it take to tow a large enough iceberg to Los Angeles to provide fresh water for the city for an entire year? (Thanks to John Adam of Old Dominion University and co-author of Guesstimation for suggesting the question.)

U.S.-based airlines lost 1.7 million pieces of luggage in 2016. How tall a mountain will this make? What is the probability an airline will lose our luggage on our next flight? (Thanks to John Adam of Old Dominion University and co-author of Guesstimation for suggesting the question.)

Question 1: Time Texting; Question 2: Opening Doors, Larry Weinstein

Physics Faculty Publications

[Introduction] How much total time do Americans spend texting every year?

Can a typical human open a 20-ton door (swinging on hinges around a vertical axis like a normal room door) with no mechanical assistance?

Question 1: "Up" — A Fermi Question About Buoyancy; Question 2: Traffic Jams, Larry Weinstein

Physics Faculty Publications

Is it possible for a house to fly by the uplift of balloons, like in the movie "Up"? (written by R. Allart, A. Cazenave, and A. Müller, University of Geneva)

How much total time do Americans spend waiting in traffic each year? What is the total cost of this time?

Question 1: Shaving Time; Question 2: Half-Filling The Gas Tank, Larry Weinstein

Physics Faculty Publications

How much total time does a typical American spend shaving during his or her life? How much total time per year do Americans spend shaving?

How much money can you save by only half-filling your car's gas tank to reduce weight?

Question 1: Lhc Magnets; Question 2: Lhc Projectile Energy, Larry Weinstein

Physics Faculty Publications

What is the strength of the magnetic field used to keep the protons in the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) moving in a circle?

What is the kinetic energy of one lead ion in the Large Hadron Collider (LHC)? How does that compare to the kinetic energy of a ping-pong (table tennis) ball?