Fermi question · Everyday
If a resting adult’s pulse is 80 beats per minute, about how many times does the heart beat in 24 hours?
Make a fast, defensible estimate before you reveal the reference answer. Think in factors, not exact recall.
What is your estimate?
Your result will appear here after you submit a guess.
Reference answer
Reveal the reference answer
≈ 115 thousand beats per day
Fermi estimates are judged by scale, so a reasonable approximation can still earn a strong score.
One way to estimate it
Scale a plausible resting pulse across the minutes in a day.
- Minutes per day24 × 60 = 1,440
- Pulse80 beats/minute
- Estimate1,440 × 80 = 115,200 beats/day
Keep practicing
Try another question, or return to the daily challenge to build your personal sense of scale.