A clever way to estimate enormous numbers - Michael Mitchell
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TEDEd Animation
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Have you ever tried to guess how many pieces of candy there are in a jar? Or tackled a mindbender like: “How many piano tuners are there in Chicago?” Physicist Enrico Fermi was very good at problems like these -- learn how he used the power of 10 to make amazingly fast estimations of big numbers.
The ability to make accurate estimations is a powerful tool, and working through Fermi questions is an excellent way to improve your skill. Here are a few to get you started: How many basketballs would fit inside the Empire State Building? How many drops of water are there in Lake Erie? How many gas stations are there in the United States?
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Meet The Creators
- Animator Mark Phillips
- Educator Michael Mitchell
- Narrator Michael Mitchell
