Daniel,Paul, Phil sir(s):
volume of a sphere = 4/3 * pi * r^3
BUT, what is Pi.....to overcome ambiguity???
Brij Bhushan Vij <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
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From: "Daniel" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Reply-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
To: "U.S. Metric Association" <[email protected]>
Subject: [USMA:34910] Re: Approximations (was fractions)
Date: Sun, 16 Oct 2005 12:46:05 -0400
But where do you end it? Do you cut things into eights? sixteenths?
thirds, fifths, ninety-ninths?
I made the point sometime ago that halves and quarters are common in speech
and are also quite easily expressed as a decimal. But fractions and or
ratios beyond this are more difficult to use and conceptualize and are not
used or understood by the "common people".
Dan
----- Original Message ----- From: "Paul Trusten, R.Ph."
<[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: "U.S. Metric Association" <[email protected]>
Sent: Sunday, 2005-10-16 11:48
Subject: [USMA:34906] Re: Approximations (was fractions)
I hasten to add to my comments this morning that I recognize the
importance
of ratios, but, gee, gosh, and golly, I prefer to MEASURE DECIMALLY! So,
on
that point, Philip, I agree with you. But, I just don't think that ratios
should be demoted to the rank that we metricationists have been assigning
lately. Somewhere, even in the metric literature, I read the remark,
"People will always cut things in half." I, too, am guilty of cutting
things
in half (grin).
----- Original Message ----- From: "Philip S Hall" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: "U.S. Metric Association" <[email protected]>
Sent: Sunday, October 16, 2005 09:59
Subject: [USMA:34904] Re: Approximations (was fractions)
> You choose the number of useful digits by knowledge of the situation.
> A
> person who is properly taught how to apply the rules of significant
digits
> knows how many digits apply. A number left in fractional form is not
> an
> answer. If I have a number like 2/3, what does that mean if I'm
trying
to
> build something with it?
2/3 is no less an anwer than 0.67
Admittedly the problem presented is purely numerical with no context.
> Even if you have a number such as 2/3, you still have to assign a
level
of
> accuracy to it. There is no way you can make something exactly 2/3 of
> something. You are always going to have to state a plus/minus >
something
> else.
Alright, but it may not be an end result. It could be an intermediate
step
involving a fractional coeifficient. Take as an example the formulae for
the
volume of a sphere - 4/3 * pi * r^3
In any case, if the figure of 2/3 was an approximation for something,
with
a
known error bound, then by substituting a decimal approximation you
introduce a further error.
Phil Hall
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