Fermi question · Science

About how many kilograms is the mass of Earth’s Moon?

Make a fast, defensible estimate before you reveal the reference answer. Think in factors, not exact recall.

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What is your estimate?

kilograms

Use a positive number. Commas and scientific notation are okay.

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Reference answer

Reveal the reference answer

≈ 7.35 × 10²² kilograms

Fermi estimates are judged by scale, so a reasonable approximation can still earn a strong score.

One way to estimate it

Approximate the Moon as a sphere and combine its size with rocky-body density.

  1. Moon radius≈ 1.74 × 10⁶ m
  2. Volume × density4/3πr³ × ≈ 3,300 kg/m³
  3. Estimate≈ 7 × 10²² kg

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