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Re: [Phys-L] Sig Figs homework from my 7th grader



<If groups lobby textbooks and states to remove sig figs, that could be a reasonable push away from legend and towards science.>

imho The need is not to get rid of sig figs. They do have a place. The need is for a concise, easy to understand set of rules for dealing with uncertainties that a person with some grasp of basic algebra can understand. No disrespect to John Denker. His efforts to codify uncertainties is masterful. But it is almost 150 pages. No way can a teacher devote the time needed to cover all of that material and certanly not in a high school or lower setting. The material is simply too much and too advanced for students to follow.

It s sad to me that with all the interest in teaching science, the basic art of making measurements, let alone a pedagogy about measurements is essentially non-exsistent for students at the junior high and high school levels. It doesn't have to be rocket science.

Dan



On Oct 10, 2013, at 12:00 PM, phys-l-request@phys-l.org wrote:

Message: 10
Date: Thu, 10 Oct 2013 12:57:59 +0000
From: Paul Lulai <plulai@stanthony.k12.mn.us>
To: "Phys-L@Phys-L.org" <Phys-L@Phys-L.org>
Subject: Re: [Phys-L] Sig Figs homework from my 7th grader
Message-ID:
<B1EC32D9C7E46A4BAAC8C22C74B019D56BB90351@EXCHANGE2.stanthony.k12.mn.us>

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Sig figs /must/ be used in a lot of college chem programs. I find many many chem teachers that feel sig figs are simply the way it is and how it is done.
I wonder if more undergrad physics classes use measurement uncertainty and error progression while more undergrad chem classes might rely on sig figs as a shortcut. It maybe that sig figs are a bad shortcut, but that might be the bulk of experience for someone with a BA or BS in chemistry.
If groups lobby textbooks and states to remove sig figs, that could be a reasonable push away from legend and towards science.