Fermi question · Technology

About how many bits per second is the USB 2.0 Hi-Speed signaling rate?

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?

bits per second

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

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Reference answer

Reveal the reference answer

≈ 480 million bits per second

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

One way to estimate it

Convert the familiar 480 megabits-per-second rating into bits per second.

  1. Hi-Speed rate480 megabits/second
  2. Bits per megabit1,000,000
  3. Estimate480 × 1,000,000 = 480M bits/s

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