Question

6. If you were to build a brand new highway between New York and Los Angeles, how many truckloads of asphalt would you need?

● What is the distance between New York and Los Angeles?

● How wide will the highway be and how many truckloads of asphalt are required for a mile of highway this wide?

● What mathematical operations have to be done to complete this estimation?

● What aspects of this estimation are the most sensitive in influencing the final answer?

What are assumptions:

What are the calculations?

What is the final answer and order of magnitude?

What are limitations? What does estimate fail to take into account?

How would estimate be affected if assumptions were to change?

Answer 1

1) the distance between new york and los angeles is apprx 2451 miles =3944 km

2) 4.8 meters and for width =4.8 m =13.124 ft , length 1 mile = 5280 ft and depth = 8 inch ...... truckload of asphalt required = 49196.480 cubic feet , 3464.736 tones , 6929427 lbs

This also tells us about the assumption .

Limitations are

1) frequent accidents on highway

2)inadequate roads for users

3)heavy taxes

4)unsuitable for bulky goods

Estimates will adversely affected if assumption were cha ged because the asphalt we needed are according to the loads and class vehicles that usually chosen by the road users ............. n other materials according to the strength we required for highway .