Problem
For each of the following questions:
(1) Produce a quick guess based only on your understanding of the world, and then
(2) Use Google to find supportable numbers to produce a more principled estimate from. How much did your two estimates differ by?
(a) How many piano tuners are there in the entire world?
(b) How much does the ice in a hockey rink weigh?
(c) How many gas stations are there in the United States?
(d) How many people fly in and out of LaGuardia Airport every day?
(e) How many gallons of ice cream are sold in the United States each year?
(f) How many basketballs are purchased by the National Basketball Association (NBA) each year?
(g) How many fish are there in all the world's oceans?
(h) How many people are flying in the air right now, all over the world?
(i) How many ping-pong balls can fit in a large commercial jet?
(j) How many miles of paved road are there in your favorite country?
(k) How many dollar bills are sitting in the wallets of all people at Stony Brook University?
(l) How many gallons of gasoline does a typical gas station sell per day?
(m) How many words are there in this book?
(n) How many cats live in New York city?
(o) How much would it cost to fill a typical car's gas tank with Starbuck's coffee?
(p) How much tea is there in China?
(q) How many checking accounts are there in the United States?