Benjamin Franklin was one of the most creative minds in American history. To aid him in his creative problem solving, he liked to use a piece of paper with two columns drawn on it. Franklin would write the problem he was trying to solve at the top of the page. Then he would name the left-hand column “Pros” and the right-hand column “Cons.”
Next, he would write the benefits of the problem under the “Pros” column and the drawbacks under the “Cons” column. Once Franklin had all his ideas on paper, he would look at the results, make a “Decision,” and start to solve the problem. Let’s use Ben Franklin’s method as a guide to answer a common static pressure question — how many hoses should you use with your manometer?