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Re: [Phys-l] Significant figures -- again





-----Original Message-----
From: phys-l-bounces@carnot.physics.buffalo.edu [mailto:phys-l-
bounces@carnot.physics.buffalo.edu] On Behalf Of John Mallinckrodt
Sent: Monday, March 12, 2012 8:10 PM
To: Forum for Physics Educators
Subject: Re: [Phys-l] Significant figures -- again

On Mar 12, 2012, at 1:09 PM, John Denker wrote:

On 03/12/2012 12:49 PM, John Mallinckrodt wrote:

2) He or she is demonstrating his or her numerical ignorance.

I do not think I am numerically ignorant.

I couldn't agree more so I should probably have added that I'd be
utterly flabbergasted to hear you quote a length as 3.8675309 cm if you
only knew it to within a few mm.

John Mallinckrodt
Cal Poly Pomona
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[LaMontagne, Bob]

It might be against custom, and it might not be the prettiest thing in the world, but is using all the extra digits actually "wrong"? Is there any theorem in arithmetic or algebra that is being violated? Is there any mathematical or physical society that prohibits the use of extra digits?

Much ado about nothing :-)

Bob at PC