Answer & explanation
The official answer, with Fermi’s reasoning step by step.
Answer & explanation
Official answer
3,212
feet
How to estimate it
Fermi’s official “Napkin math”
The Empire State Building is about 1,250 feet to the roof. How does the tallest waterfall compare? It comes off the side of a mountain, not a city block, so stack two or three of them.
- Empire State Building
- ~1,250 ft
- Stack of them
- × 2.5
- 1,250 × 2.5
- ≈ 3,100 ft
A tall skyscraper is about 400 meters. How does the tallest waterfall compare? It comes off the side of a mountain, not a city block, so stack two or three of them.
- Tall skyscraper
- ~400 m
- Stack of them
- × 2.5
- 400 × 2.5
- ≈ 1,000 m
Rounded assumptions may give a slightly different estimate. The official answer above is the game’s reference value.
Source calculation & reference
- Angel Falls (Kerepakupai Merú), Canaima National Park, Venezuela
- 979 m total height
- Convert to feet
- × 3.28
- 979 × 3.28
- ≈ 3,212 feet
Reference cited by Fermi: Guinness World Records and National Geographic: Angel Falls, Venezuela, total height 979 m (3,212 ft), including a single uninterrupted drop of 807 m (2,648 ft)
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