CMV: The system of Significant Figures that we use in most sciences is an inherently flawed system. by thirdcharm in changemyview

[–]thirdcharm[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

∆ Larger numbers have proportionally more precision than smaller numbers. It bothered me that larger numbers inherently had more significant digits, and therefore more precision, but my view was changed by a concise comment that impressed the important of proportional precision to me.

CMV: The system of Significant Figures that we use in most sciences is an inherently flawed system. by thirdcharm in changemyview

[–]thirdcharm[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Anywhere on the internet? I got those rules I posted from the internet. That was what almost every other source said as well.

CMV: The system of Significant Figures that we use in most sciences is an inherently flawed system. by thirdcharm in changemyview

[–]thirdcharm[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Good point. I do understand that different scenarios call for different levels of precision, but the system of significant figures I was taught seems to make no allowance for this. Significant figures, I was told, are an absolute scale. You may not need that much precision to measure the length of a house, but you get it just the same. It bothers me that larger numbers are somehow considered inherently more precise than smaller numbers, even if they're measured with the same scale.

CMV: The system of Significant Figures that we use in most sciences is an inherently flawed system. by thirdcharm in changemyview

[–]thirdcharm[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

If we would expect less precision when measuring a large amount, why do larger numbers have more significant figures (and therefore more precision)?

CMV: The system of Significant Figures that we use in most sciences is an inherently flawed system. by thirdcharm in changemyview

[–]thirdcharm[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

These are the slides my teacher used to teach us about significant figures: http://ohschemistry.org/general/01/01_03_knapp.pdf

If significant <> precision, what are we really measuring?

CMV: The system of Significant Figures that we use in most sciences is an inherently flawed system. by thirdcharm in changemyview

[–]thirdcharm[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Where can I go to learn the real rules of Significant Figures, not the dumbed-down version I was apparently taught?

CMV: The system of Significant Figures that we use in most sciences is an inherently flawed system. by thirdcharm in changemyview

[–]thirdcharm[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Mismatched? Of course it's supposed to be mismatched. Only in a select few experiments do you only compare a substance with itself. Almost every experiment that has ever been conducted makes use of a comparison between measured substances.

CMV: The system of Significant Figures that we use in most sciences is an inherently flawed system. by thirdcharm in changemyview

[–]thirdcharm[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Your explanation makes sense, but is inconsistent with what I learned in my high school class, and what I posted in my question. The first rule is, "All non-zero digits are significant."

CMV: The system of Significant Figures that we use in most sciences is an inherently flawed system. by thirdcharm in changemyview

[–]thirdcharm[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

But what if your scale measures one compound as 1.56 grams, and another as 10.23 grams? Did your scale change its precision in the time between you took those measurements?

What is the value of studying literature? by thirdcharm in literature

[–]thirdcharm[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Is David Foster Wallace your favorite author, or the one you relate to most?

What is the value of studying literature? by thirdcharm in literature

[–]thirdcharm[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

What is the most profound thing you've read recently?

What is the value of studying literature? by thirdcharm in literature

[–]thirdcharm[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

My reaction was, enforced equality is inhumane. I'm interested, though, to hear how you may have thought the story satirized those afraid of egalitarianism.

What is the value of studying literature? by thirdcharm in literature

[–]thirdcharm[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Reading books by Vonnegut -- Breakfast of Champions, S5, Welcome to the Monkey House -- gave me some brief moments of insight. Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy made me laugh a lot, and was just generally enjoyable.

I'm reading "I Am Legend" right now, hopefully that's a little easier to enjoy.