Class: Mondays, 4:00-4:50 pm OCNPS 303
Instructor: Prof. Charles E. Hyde
Office: OCNPS/PSB 2100C
email: chyde'@'odu.edu
Phone: 757 683 5853
Office Hours: TBD
Textbook: Guesstimation, L.Weinstein and J.Adam, Princeton University Press (2008) ISBN 2007033928
Course Description
This is course about how to use basic physics principles taught in Phys 231-232 (with a few additional equations) and minimal additional data (e.g. basic facts available on the internet) to make order-of-magnitude estimates of physical, biological, social, and technological systems, challenges, and potential solutions. These questions are also often called Fermi Questions, after physicist Enrico Fermi who alleged asked a talented but flustered PhD candidate at his oral exam: "How many Piano Tuners are there in Chicago". I will not lecture, but we will use the class time to discuss and solve selected problems. The discussion will be led by two students each week. You are also invited to submit you own problems for class discussion.
Homework
Each week you will have a few problems to work on at home, and submit before the start of class. The most important thing is to show your starting assumptions and data and then describe your line of reasoning. It is also fair to conclude your final answer doesn't make sense, and therefore you need to reevaluate your assumptions!
Exams
There will be an in-class Midterm exam on Monday, 2
March 2015.
You will be given 3-4 problems, and asked to analyze and solve
one of them.
The final exam will be Monday, 4 May 2015, 3:45-6:45 pm
Grading
Your grade in the class will be based on HW, Exams, and class participation.
Here is a humorous, yet accurate order of magnitude description of the universe http://xkcd.com/482/
Another, example is the Powers of Ten book by
physicist Phillip Morrison, and movie narrated by Phillip
Morrison.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0fKBhvDjuy0
also
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Powers_of_Ten
Last Update: 02 Jan 2015