Barometer question

In its classic form, popularized by American test designer professor Alexander Calandra in the 1960s, the question asked the student to "show how it is possible to determine the height of a tall building with the aid of a barometer.

"[1] The examiner was confident that there was one, and only one, correct answer, which is found by measuring the difference in pressure at the top and bottom of the building and solving for height.

[2] The Kaplan, Inc. ACT preparation textbook describes it as an "MIT legend",[3] and an early form is found in a 1958 American humor book.

[4] However, Calandra presented the incident as a real-life, first-person experience that occurred during the Sputnik crisis.

[5] Calandra's essay, "Angels on a Pin", was published in 1959 in Pride, a magazine of the American College Public Relations Association.

[10] It was frequently reprinted since 1970,[11] making its way into books on subjects ranging from teaching,[12] writing skills,[13] workplace counseling[14] and investment in real estate[15] to chemical industry,[16] computer programming[17] and integrated circuit design.

The student came up with several possible answers, but settled on dropping the barometer from the top of the building, timing its fall, and using the equation of motion

"[22] Financial advisor Robert G. Allen presented Calandra's essay to illustrate the process and role of creativity in finance.

[25] Sanders interpreted Calandra's story as a conflict between perfection and optimal solutions: "We struggle to determine a 'best' answer, when a simple call to a building superintendent (the resource man) would quickly provide adequate information.