CS382:Unit-fermiproblems

Fermiproblems - Use fermiproblems to encourage students to be comfortable making estimates and discovering ways to estimate with only limited data available. Worked examples are available here

• A list of Problems is available here

Skill-set

• Using available sources to find information
• Quickly vetting sources
• Acquiring a feel for how to determine what factors are significant
• Learning how to make estimates where figures are not available
• Learning how to show and defend the reasoning behind extrapolations
• Being able to make quick back of the napkin calculations
• Understanding of what significant figures are and how to calculate them

Materials needed

• Problems which are relevant to the models which the students will later be constructing in the class
• Worked through examples showing a complete model and demonstrating which information is necessary for a ballpark estimation and which is not.
• Problem sets for the students to work through
• A quick example of scale such as powers of 10

Pros

   * What makes a good model vs. what makes just a model 

Cons

Comments

   * Is this included in all of the other units, or also use this and then use these skills in lots of other places
   * Include talking about orders of magnitude, scale, significant figures, accuracy vs. precision, pattern recognition