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[Phys-L] Re: infinite sig. figs.



How well can you measure 0.5 orange? Is it 0.051 or 0.049? Or is it
really 0.5000000000000000000000... If you give your answer as 0.5, you
don't have an infinite #. Just 1.

Sam

Pete Lohstreter wrote:

Forum for Physics Educators <PHYS-L@list1.ucc.nau.edu> on Thursday,
September 22, 2005 at 11:36 AM -0600 wrote:


It's been a few days, but I believe the question asked was, if you counted
12.5 oranges, is it still an infinite number of sig. figs. or are there 3
sig. figs.?



My interpretation is that you have 25-half oranges and therefore an
infinite number of sigfigs....

Pete Lohstreter "Happy is he who gets to know
The Hockaday School the reasons for things. "
11600 Welch Rd Virgil (70-19 BCE) Roman poet.
Dallas, TX 75229

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plohstreter@mail.hockaday.org

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