Estimate Physical Quantities
- There are important physical quantities to learn in physics
- They are particularly useful when making estimates
- A few examples of useful quantities to memorise are given in the table below (this is by no means an exhaustive list)
Estimating Physical Quantities Table
Worked example
Estimate the energy required for an adult man to walk up a flight of stairs.
Examiner Tip
The mark scheme for calculations involving estimates are normally quite generous and offer a range of values as the final answer. Some common estimates are:
- Mass of an adult = 70 kg
- Gravitational field strength, g = 10 m s-2
- Mass of a car = 1500 kg
- Wavelength of visible light = 400 nm (violet) – 700 nm (red)
Many values are already given in your data booklet that therefore may not be given in the question, so make sure to check there too!
