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Re: significant figures

Fred Bucheit Physics teacher, wrote:

I have found a rather simple way to teach significant digits.


Measurement is the process of taking a standard and using it multiple
times to COMPARE it to an object of unknown

This is a nice way to teach both the concepts of measurement and
significant digits. The book "Understanding Basic Mechanics" by Fred
Reif, (Wiley) does just this in the opening chapter. A good opening
exercise is to measure the classroom's door height in terms of the
classroom width. They can't move either to the other, so some other
reference has to come into play. Ban meter sticks--you get the idea.

JEG
John E. Gastineau
304 296 1966
Morgantown, WV
http://www.imagixx.net/~jgastin
email: jgastin@imagixx.net