3QUESTION 3 OF 3
Answer & explanation
The official answer, with Fermi’s reasoning step by step.
Answer & explanation
Official answer
800
kernels
How to estimate it
Fermi’s official “Napkin math”
Picture corn on the cob and count the rows around it, maybe 16. How many kernels run down each row? They're small and packed tight, so call it 40.
- Rows around the cob
- ~16
- Kernels down each row
- × 40
- 16 × 40
- ≈ 640
Rounded assumptions may give a slightly different estimate. The official answer above is the game’s reference value.
Source calculation & reference
- Kernel rows on a typical ear
- 16
- Kernels per row
- × 50
- 16 × 50
- = 800
Reference cited by Fermi: Nebraska Corn Board · Iowa Corn Growers Association
How close was your guess?
Your comparison will appear here.
Compare by ratio: divide the larger number by the smaller one. The closer to 1×, the better.