I might add that this activity, doesn't even require a spreadsheet; its just
as instructive with a calculator and a sheet of paper.
Joel rauber
----------
From: Daniel L. MacIsaac
To: phys-l
Cc: danmac
Subject: Re: supplementary S.I. units
Date: Friday, September 25, 1998 12:21PM
....this is a great activity for spreadsheeting. Answer the following
questions in your own words:
- for what small angles does sin(theta) look like theta in rad?
- how small for agreement within 5%? 1%?
- what DOES sin(theta)/theta in radians converge to for small angles?
- what DOES sin(theta)/theta in degrees converge to for small angles?
- can you interpret this number as a conversion constant?
- what does sin(theta)/theta in gradians converge to?
- can you interpret this number as a conversion constant?
- what does "a natural system of angular measurement" mean?
See also Arons TEACHING INTRODUCTORY PHYSICS, p117(PtI).
Dan M
Dan MacIsaac, Assistant Professor of Physics and Astronomy, Northern AZ Univ
danmac@nau.edu http://www.phy.nau.edu/~danmac