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Fermi Estimation: Tennis Balls in Plane
EstimationMedium
10 min
20 pts
Description
Estimate how many tennis balls can fit in a commercial airplane.
Game Rules
Estimate the number of tennis balls that can fit inside a commercial airplane. Break down the problem into smaller estimates.
Examples
Plane dimensions: ~70m x 6m x 2.5m = 1050 m3
Tennis ball volume: ~0.00014 m3
Packing efficiency: ~60%
Estimate: ~4.5 million balls
Hints
Break into smaller estimates
Consider packing efficiency
Solution (Click to reveal)
Break into: plane volume, ball volume, packing efficiency. Plane about 1000 m3, ball about 0.00014 m3, efficiency about 60%. Answer: ~4-5 million balls.