I find questions like the ping pong ball question rather trying, but I guess there's a long precedent for it. My understanding is that you're supposed to do a b

I find questions like the ping pong ball question rather trying, but I guess there's a long precedent for it. My understanding is that you're supposed to do a back-of-the-envelope calculation that gets you within an order of magnitude or so of the correct answer. One problem with questions like this is that unless you know that you're supposed to just do a back-of-the-envelope calculation, they can leave you completely flabbergasted, as the questions sound as if they are asking for an accurate answer, which you'd have no reasonable way of determining. Also, for me, asking me to do any math at all while someone is staring over my shoulder, or what have you, is going to cause me to make mistakes like sqrt(36) == 9, and I have a degree from MIT. Consequently, I hate this style of interview with a passion.