On 2005 Oct 16 , at 11:37 AM, Paul Trusten, R.Ph. wrote:
<x-tad-smaller>The metre is the length of the path travelled by light in vacuum during a time interval of 1/299 792 458 of a second.</x-tad-smaller>
Thus, the definition of the meter itself does not involve the use of a negative exponential expression, but as a ratio that we like to call a fraction.
As usual, legitimate applications can be found for common fractions but they are usually in technical applications that only specialists need to know. Would you want a 6th grade child to have to do arithmetic involving the fraction
1/(299 792 458) ?
How about subtracting it from 1/273.16 (which is another ratio used in the fundamental definitions of SI units -- for thermodynamic temperature unit, the kelvin).
Can anyone propose ANY situation where these two ratios would need to be used in the same arithmetic operation? (Of course not!)
The need for ratios in technical situations does not make it necessary to teach the arithmetic of common fractions to poor little 6th grade children.
Regards,
Bill Hooper
Fernandina Beach, Florida, USA
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SIMPLIFICATION begins with SI
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