Back-of-the-envelope calculations all start with basic quantities. Those numbers can sometimes be found in a problem specification (such as a requirements document), but other times they must be estimated.
This little quiz is designed to help you evaluate your proficency as a number guesser. For each question, fill in upper and lower bounds that, in your opinion, give you a ninety percent chance of including the true value; try not to make your ranges too narrow or too wide. I estimate that it should take you between five and ten minutes. Please make a good faith effort.
[______, ______] January 1, 2000, population of the United States in millions.
[______, ______] The year of Napoleon's birth.
[______, ______] Length of the Mississippi-Missouri river in miles.
[______, ______] Maximum takeoff weight in pounds of a Boeing 747 airliner.
[______, ______] Seconds for a radio signal to travel from the earth to the moon.
[______, ______] Latitude of London.
[______, ______] Minutes for a space shuttle to orbit the earth.
[______, ______] Length in feet between the towers of the Golden Gate Bridge.
[______, ______] Number of signers of the Declaration of Independence.
[______, ______] Number of bones in the adult human body.
When you finish this quiz, please visit here for answers and interpretation.
Copyright © 1999 Lucent Technologies. All rights reserved. Mon 9 Aug 1999