Quote:
Originally Posted by Ether
The whole concept using "significant figures" this way, although still taught in high schools, is deeply flawed.
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Are you saying that there's more than 4 significant digits in the 'best' answer?
Quote:
Originally Posted by EricH
I'm curious why you say it's flawed--besides the fact it confused me every time I tried to use it!
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Me too, because I'm not sure in which way you find flaw.
The statement I use is "Just because your calculator shows 8 digits doesn't mean they are all important".
On the other hand, it is very important to know just how many digits you
really have to work with, and a good idea of physical reality to check for reasonableness.