Can You Fit the Entire Encyclopaedia Britannica on a Pinhead?

  • Thread starter Thread starter CampRock
  • Start date Start date
Click For Summary
SUMMARY

The discussion centers on Richard Feynman's proposition of fitting the entire Encyclopaedia Britannica on the head of a pin, which is estimated to be 1/16 inch in diameter. Participants calculated the area of the pinhead and discussed the average number of words in the Britannica, estimated at 50 million. The challenge lies in determining the size of letters required and the atomic spacing, which is approximately 5x10^(-10) meters, leading to a calculation of how many atoms would fit across each letter.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of basic geometry for calculating areas
  • Knowledge of atomic structure and atomic spacing
  • Familiarity with average word length statistics
  • Basic physics concepts related to size and scale
NEXT STEPS
  • Calculate the area of a circle using the formula A = πr²
  • Research average word length statistics in the English language
  • Explore atomic structure and properties of atoms
  • Investigate the implications of scaling down text to atomic levels
USEFUL FOR

This discussion is beneficial for physics students, educators, and anyone interested in the intersection of language, scale, and atomic physics.

CampRock
Messages
1
Reaction score
0

Homework Statement


Richard Feynman propsed writing the entrie Encyclopaedia Brittanica on the head of a pin.
1) Estimate the size of the letters needed if we suppose a pinhead is 1/16 in across.
2) If the atomic spacing is 5x10^(-10)m, how many atoms across is each letter?

Homework Equations




The Attempt at a Solution


So I assume that the average Britannica contains 50 million words, but what I need is the average areas of a pinhead compared to Britannica (which I can't figure out how to get values of).
I've also estimated the answer to be 10^(-8) atoms from some articles I have read, but I unfortunately can't come up how to get that solution.

A little help please? It's due tomorrow morning
 
Physics news on Phys.org


Welcome to Physics Forums.

You are given the size of the pinhead, assuming that it is circular, you can then determine the area of the pin head.

The next step is then to estimate the average number of letters in a word - such things are undoubtedly available on the internet.
 

Similar threads

How can I calculate sieverts from the activity of depleted uranium?
  • · Replies 7 ·
Replies
7
Views
6K
Estimation example from Giancoli
  • · Replies 2 ·
Replies
2
Views
2K
Undergrad Feynmann's connection machine model
  • · Replies 1 ·
Replies
1
Views
3K
Feynman Lectures exercises problem 1.9
  • · Replies 3 ·
Replies
3
Views
4K
Graduate Can you generate an image to fit the following features?
  • · Replies 9 ·
Replies
9
Views
2K
Finding two possibilities of depth when volume is given?
  • · Replies 7 ·
Replies
7
Views
5K
How Do You Express the Number of Security PINs in Logarithmic Form?
  • · Replies 1 ·
Replies
1
Views
3K
Communication Matrix Homework Problem #10: How to Indicate Arrows
  • · Replies 2 ·
Replies
2
Views
3K
How Accurate Are Stopwatch Measurements in Physics Experiments?
  • · Replies 3 ·
Replies
3
Views
3K
How can permutations help with logic gates and circuit design?
  • · Replies 3 ·
Replies
3
Views
3K