Copyright © Michael Richmond.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License.
Filling the classroom with racquetballs
You decide to play a practical joke on your
physics instructor: you will fill the classroom
with racquetballs over Christmas break, so that
when everyone comes back in January, class will
have to be cancelled. Ha ha!
How many balls will it take?
You must estimate the number of balls before
you can buy them, of course.
Rules:
- Each group must make its own estimate,
writing all its work neatly on a single sheet
of paper and handing it in before the end of
class.
- Groups may use any of the materials in their small
box of tools at their tables.
- Group members may not leave their tables
during this exercise.
- Groups may request an instructor to
give them a single meterstick.
- Grades will be assigned based on the accuracy of your
results (with small adjustments based on
neatness, grammar, etc.)
If your value is within _______ of the actual
value, your score will be __________.
- within a factor of 3, your score will be 6 out of 6
- within a factor of 10, your score will be 5 out of 6
- within a factor of 100, your score will be 4 out of 6
- anything else, your score will be 3 out of 6
Copyright © Michael Richmond.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License.