2. Figuring with Fermi Problems

3. Named after the Italian- American University of Chicago professor and noted 20 th century physicist and Nobel Prize-winner Fermi problems are math word problems that require making educated guesses using estimation skills and prior knowledge Fermi problems are solved by breaking the complex problem into smaller ones and using estimation skills to continuously refine your answer So who was Enrico Fermi and what are Fermi Problems…? One super smart dude.. ! …has his own prize from the Atomic Energy Commission …and a US stamp in his honor…

4. and what’s so much fun about them…? Fermi problems require imagination Fermi problems are good exercise for your brain Fermi problems will help make you rich and famous! Fermi problems will “force” you to think differently You can even create your own Fermi problems and stump your parents! Fermi problems often don’t have an exact answer

5. Let’s take a look at some examples of Fermi Problems… I. How many basketballs would fill this classroom? III. How many hot dogs will be sold at Yankee Stadium this season? II. How many piano tuners are there in the city of Chicago?

8. what information do we need to solve the problem…? Talk it over for a minute….

9. what information do we need to solve the problem…? - Volume of this room? - Volume of a basketball?

10. Let’s get to work!

11. Volume of this room Volume = Length X Width X Height

12. Volume of this room (in inches)

13. Volume of a basketball? Well, a basketball is a sphere…. And the volume of a sphere = 4/3 πr3 where r is the radius of the ball of course! Hey old guys - use the circumference to calculate the radius

14. Volume of a basketball? Hey, don’t forget if the circumference = 2πr, then you can find r by dividing the circumference by 2π!

15. Volume of a basketball? Circumference = 29.5 in = 2 πr Radius r = 29.5/(2 π) = 4.69 in Volume = (4/3) π r 3 = (4/3) π (4.69) 3 = 432 cubic in.

16. Answer: Divide the volume of the room by the volume of the basketball = 25,920,000 cu.in. / 432 cu.in. = 60,000 basketballs So, how does that compare to your initial guesses?

17. Pictures & Music Sources: Enrico Fermi pictures – American Institute of Physics, University of Chicago Basketball background - Http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://static.desktopnexus.com/wallpapers/16550 Http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://static.desktopnexus.com/wallpapers/16550 Yankee Stadium - http://dianasneighborhood.files.wordpress.com/2009/07/yankee-stadium- hot-dog-permanently-scatterbrained.jpghttp://dianasneighborhood.files.wordpress.com/2009/07/yankee-stadium- hot-dog-permanently-scatterbrained.jpg Piano keys - http://www.paulhahn.com/images/pianos.jpghttp://www.paulhahn.com/images/pianos.jpg Basketball - http://www.barryonline.com/storage/basketball.jpg Sweet Georgia Brown (Harlem Globetrotters) by Bobby Morganstein Productions From the Album Sports & Novelty ThemesBobby Morganstein ProductionsSports & Novelty Themes Larry Bird & Kevin McHale http://imagecache2.allposters.com/images/pic/PHO/AAFC033~Larry-Bird-Kevin-McHale-1- Posters.jpg http://imagecache2.allposters.com/images/pic/PHO/AAFC033~Larry-Bird-Kevin-McHale-1- Posters.jpg Kevin Garnett http://www.thesunblog.com/gourmetgal/kevin-garnett22.jpghttp://www.thesunblog.com/gourmetgal/kevin-garnett22.jpg Paul Pierce & Ray Allen - http://artfiles.art.com/5/p/LRG/27/2731/D3VND00Z/paul-pierce-- ray-allen-game-4-of-the-2008-nba-finals.jpg