Re: Sig Figures

[newboltw <NewboltW@MADISON.ACAD.WLU.EDU>]

> Date:          Wed, 02 Feb 2000 14:24:11 -0700
> From:          Jim Green <JMGreen@SISNA.COM>
> Subject:       Re: Sig Figures
> To:            PHYS-L@lists.nau.edu
> Reply-to:      "phys-l@lists.nau.edu: Forum for Physics Educators"
>                <PHYS-L@lists.nau.edu>

> > As for the sig fig problem, there is a contrast between the High School and
> > college freedom.  I, as a HS teacher, have a wide range of freedom but am
> > still
> > held to some pretty tight standards on what will be emphasized. In my county,
> > sig figs are a big thing.  Sometimes my personal opinion (like sig figs) and
> > the county standards do not match.  We are tasked to prepare our students for
> > all colleges and not a specific course with the beliefs of one
> > instructor.  And
> > yes it does get in the way sometimes but this is the nature of public
> > education.  My origional question with this thread was inspired by my
> > desire to
> > do the best job I can in my class with the school's standards.  Hopefully, I
> > will succeed.
>
> The above seems to express reasonable concerns.
>
>   However, remember that if HS physics is not taught correctly (eg a la
> Bill Nye) then the college instructor will have to spend valuable time
> un-teaching the cartoon physics.
>
> And also remember that the state core curricula are written by those who do
> not know much physics and those people are sometimes supported by
> legislatures who know even less.  I cite here the Alabama (I think) state
> law which defines pi as exactly 3!
>
> Would the list agree to teach such math in Alabama?
>
> As to the topic of Sig Figs:  when students get to the real world such
> nonsense just won't be abided except by suits who don't know any
> better.  Many real people will insist on a statistical analysis and a
> resultant mean and std dev.  Why are we not teaching this in the HS and
> colleges?
>
> Jim Green
> mailto:JMGreen@sisna.com
> http://users.sisna.com/jmgreen

Come on Jim, you are getting a little strident again, but I have to
agree with you that when they are properly applied the rules of
experimental statistics are useful.  One reason it does not make any
more of a splash it colleges and high schools is that you usually
have three maybe five measurements.  What can you learn from applying
a lot of high-powered statistics to that.

The other reason that the splash is that the subject is BORING in the
extreme.
                                                                WBN
Barlow Newbolt
Department of Physics and Engineering
Washington and Lee University
Lexington, VA 24450

Young man if I could remember the names of all of
these particles I would have become a botanist
                        Enrico Fermi
Telephone and Phone Mail:  540-463-8881
Fax: 540-463-8884
e-mail: NewboltW@madison.acad.wlu.edu