I hate taking my calculus exams and having to deal with odd units or units that need converting.
I think that's partly why I'm struggling in the class because there is no consistency between problems, they all use different measurements, and sometimes the questions ask you to express things in say decimal inches instead of millimeters. Math is difficult enoough that I think it's doing a disservice to people to make it unnecessarily harder by flipping units around. Mike On Dec 3, 2007 8:22 AM, Nat Hager III <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > I meant to reply on this one a couple weeks ago, when someone commented on > having to study for their Statics exam using "foot-inch-whatever" measure > instead of standard metric. > > I can sympathize with this, as someone who does adjunct/SBIR/academic-NSF > out of a small college. Periodically I hear students in the study room > trying to solve problems using feet, pounds, and "slugs", and complaining > loudly why everything can't just be metric. I feel their pain, but am > certainly not going to interfere with how another professor teaches his > course. > > Unless of course they ask me how to solve a problem, as usually in my lab > working late in the evening. In that case the answer is "I don't know", > or > "I don't know unless I can convert everything to metric, solve the > problem, > and convert back if that's what's required." > > Sorry, I don't go along with this "solve the problem in the units you're > given" philosophy, as if it's somehow supposed to imply versatility in > dealing with the global marketplace. In a world where *no one else* use > 18th century units, it's just another excuse to do nothing. > > Nat > > -----Original Message----- > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf > Of Cole > Sent: Monday, 2007 December 03 4:26 > To: U.S. Metric Association > Cc: Paul Trusten > Subject: [USMA:39837] Re: the U.S. SHALL go metric > > Paul and others, > > I rarely respond in forums, but after taking a calculus quiz on Friday > with > a problem having measurements in ft. (covering applications to physics and > engineering), I completely agree with your statement and sentiment. It is > past time to metricate America. > > > > -- > -----Thanks!----- > > Cole Kingsbury > IAVCEI #1575; GSA #9088311 > Geology Undergrad -- UAF > http://www.uaf.edu/geology > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > ---------------------- > GEOLOGY JOKE DU MOIS: > Q: What volcanic rock type makes for a poor lighting source? > A: Phonolite (phoney light) > > -------------- Original message ---------------------- > From: Paul Trusten <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > USMA and its supporters are small in number, but that doesn't matter. > > > > > > "A small body of determined spirits fired by an unquenchable thirst in > > their mission can alter the course of history." --Mohandas K. Gandhi > > > -- "The boy is dangerous, they all sense it why can't you?" (\__/) (='.'=)This is Bunny. Copy and paste bunny into your (")_(")signature to help him gain world domination.
