Fundies Math

[lamont]

60 has 1sigfig, 140 has 2. Didn't catch that at first...

I caught it the first time I read it, but didn't think it was... significant... enough to post about...

Another thing about significant digits, though, is that you don't round off at every calculation. You want to do the computations with full precision in your computer/calculator and then round off to the significant digits when you are done and have a final answer, otherwise you can introduce multiple rounding errors. I don't think that was being done in this thread.

 

[Phil K.]

60 has 1sigfig, 140 has 2. Didn't catch that at first...

Actually, that's quite wrong. A zero to the right of an integer is counted as a signficant figure. So 60 has 2 and 140 has 3. Here's a link to help if you need it.
http://www.lon-capa.org/~mmp/applist/sigfig/sig.htm

 

[JeffG]

Wow..

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

Wow..

Jeff ... that is NOT the significant digit they're referring to ... :no

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[SparticleBrane]

Actually, that's quite wrong. A zero to the right of an integer is counted as a signficant figure. So 60 has 2 and 140 has 3. Here's a link to help if you need it.
http://www.lon-capa.org/~mmp/applist/sigfig/sig.htm

Actually, it's quite right.
Zeros at the end are not significant if there's not a decimal point (note that in your link there's always a decimal). Zeros are significant if they're to the right of the decimal, or between other sigfigs. Putting a decimal at the end of a number, even if nothing follows it, makes everything to the left of the decimal significant.

For this example, 60 has 1 and 140 has 2 due to the lack of decimal places after the numbers.
If it were 60. and 140. they they'd have 2 and 3, respectively.

</hijack>

 

[JeffG]

 

[SparticleBrane]

Yes, yes, I can laugh at myself too.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

I'll see your hat and raise you one ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[SparticleBrane]

I'm waiting for the bungied snorkel pic.

 

[dsteding]

Actually, it's quite right.
Zeros at the end are not significant if there's not a decimal point (note that in your link there's always a decimal). Zeros are significant if they're to the right of the decimal, or between other sigfigs. Putting a decimal at the end of a number, even if nothing follows it, makes everything to the left of the decimal significant.

For this example, 60 has 1 and 140 has 2 due to the lack of decimal places after the numbers.
If it were 60. and 140. they they'd have 2 and 3, respectively.

</hijack>

Sparticle wins!