Final answer:
An estimate is a rough educated guess based on prior experience and sound physical reasoning. Estimating involves using correct physical principles and relevant variables to form a rough judgement. It is a useful skill in developing physical intuition and can be used to perform sanity checks on calculations or policy proposals.
Step-by-step explanation:
An estimate is a rough educated guess at the value of a physical quantity based on prior experience and sound physical reasoning. It is a way to arrive at a rough idea of a quantity's value when there is limited information available.
Estimating involves using correct physical principles and relevant variables to form a rough judgement. It is a useful skill in developing physical intuition and can be used to perform sanity checks on calculations or policy proposals.
One common type of estimation used in physics is Fermi calculations, which are order-of-magnitude approximations based on rough guesses and reasonable assumptions.