A Fermi problem involves making estimates and using mathematics to answer a question, in more colloquial language they might be termed ‘back of envelope’ calculations.

Many of the questions don’t have clear cut answers, and sometimes alternative paths to solutions are possible.

The level of...

‘A secret of bees’ is a series of 7 problems that looks at an interesting feature of the family tree for bees. The series shows how to take a complicated problem and break it down into manageable parts. It is recommended that the sheets are given to students one at a time.

Initially a family tree for bees is...

‘Ball bouncing’ is a series of 7 problems that looks at what happens if you put a tennis ball on top of a basketball and then drop them both. This is done through mathematical modelling. The series shows how to take a complicated problem and break it down into manageable parts. It is recommended that the sheets are...

‘Interstellar flight’ is a series of 7 problems that plan for establishing a base in another solar system. The first four problems involve getting to the base, the final three focus on what to bring and whom to take along.

The mathematics required for the first problems include use of the formulae for...

This problem serves as an introduction to the ideas of Fermi problems. The question posed is ‘how many dump trucks would you need to move Mount Fuji, a major mountain in Japan?’
The topics required to complete this problem are calculating the volume of a pyramid, working out mass from density and volume, and...

This question asks us to consider a person opening a burger bar, doing all of the cooking themselves, and then estimate how much space should they rent?

The main topics required are rates (number of burgers per hour that one person could cook, number of customers per hour), and areas. 

A Catalyst article about what happens as plants grow. During their growth, plants remove compounds of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium from soil which need to be replaced to maintain the soil’s fertility. For centuries farmers have used organic manures, crop rotation or ploughed in specially grown crops; today...

The Council for British Archaeology's Festival of Archaeology is the UK's biggest annual celebration of archaeology.

This year the theme for the festival is Archaeology and Creativity and the resources in this collection, suitable...

This resource supports the teaching of instrumental analysis, including gas chromatography - mass spectrometry  (GS-MS) time of flight mass spectrometry, using the context of archaeology. This is done by relating the use of solvents, chromatography and mass spectrometry techniques to discoveries from the study of...

This is an unplugged resource to simulate the fetch-decode-execute cycle in a processor. It is a frantic starter activity aimed at students aged 17-18. The teacher acts as the computer memory, passing out instructions to the students. The students take on three different roles, fetcher, decoder and executer.  At...

This Nuffield Working with Science unit encouraged students to gather information about different types of fabric and the fibres from which they are made. The unit introduces aspects of fabric manufacturing processes and the different uses of fibres and fabrics....

This article from Catalyst focuses on dengue fever. Dengue fever is a mosquito-borne disease found in tropical areas and its range is spreading. The article is from Catalyst: Secondary Science Review 2014, Volume 25, Issue 2.

Catalyst is a...

This Catalyst article looks at how exercise affects our immunity and susceptibility to infection. Recent research indicates that a person's level of physical activity affects their immune function, influencing their risk of respiratory tract infections such as a cold. Whereas moderate levels of regular exercise...

This Mathematics Matters case study looks at how mathematicians are aiding the fight against viruses. Many viruses have a symmetrical structure made from basic building blocks, and biologists have struggled to explain some of the more detailed shapes. Now mathematicians are using complex theories of symmetry to...