Maths News

Fermi Questions and Floods

While the school has been closed, Year 7-9 students have been provided with Fermi questions to keep their minds active. These questions relate to the mathematics they have been surrounded by recently.

A Fermi Question is an open-ended question which allows students to demonstrate mathematical thinking, reasoning and problem solving skills. It is a rough calculation which allows a reasonable estimate of the answer. There are generally not specific answers to these questions. Rather, a successfully completed task has used mathematical estimation techniques, formulas and equations alongside assumptions relevant to the problem.

To answer a Fermi question, you will need to ask other questions and either find out the answers, or estimate them.

Year 9 student, Sailor Davis-Jones was one of the first to submit her answer to the following Fermi question:

How many sand bags would it take to build a sandbag wall similar to the one shown in the picture, from McDonald’s to the Cock and Bull Hotel?

Here is Sailor’s answer. Her teacher, Miss Keenan, was very impressed!

Rhys Leslie

Learning Leader - School of Reason