Re: "Proper" scientific notation

["Donald E. Simanek" <dsimanek@eagle.lhup.edu>]

On Mon, 9 Mar 1998, George Spagna wrote:

> At 01:16 PM 3/8/98 +0000, David Simmons wrote:
>
> > More and more of my students are beginning to express answers in this 
> > format on tests and homework. Should I allow them to do this? My gut 
> > feeling is no. One student I recently asked thought that his answer of 
> > 2E3 was equal to 8 instead of 2000!
>
> One thing I also see is students who will key in scientific notation
> incorrectly:  Using your example, instead of entering "2e3" (=2000) I've
> seen them enter "2x10e3" (=20000)

Is it possible to compound notation felonies? If students write 2e3
instead of 2E3 shouldn't we worry that someone will think that e (the
base of natural logarithms) is meant? Oh, I forgot, students today leave
math courses being entirely innocent of logarithms, and of the way to use
logarithmic graph paper.

The latter is a pet peeve of mine. Some say, "Who needs to know how to use
log graph paper? Data analysis software can produce such graphs
automatically." I say, "They will have to read and interpret log graphs in
textbooks and published papers. If they have never made them, will they be
able to intelligently interpret them?" And can they trust their data
analysis software (especially those intended for "business" use) to
correctly do fits of these, especially when the experimental uncertainties
of the data points are not constant in amount or percent? Most such
analysis software can't deal with this at all. Can anyone recommend a
student-affordable software program which does?

	-- Donald

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Dr. Donald E. Simanek                            Office: 717-893-2079
Professor of Physics                                FAX: 717-893-2048
Lock Haven University, Lock Haven, PA. 17745
dsimanek@eagle.lhup.edu                 http://www.lhup.edu/~dsimanek
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