Re: Question: Significant digits?

[Stuart Burnfield <slb -at- FS -dot- COM -dot- AU>]

I'm not sure whether we're talking about a single conversion table, or
expressing every amount both ways.

If it's a conversion table to help readers do their own conversions, why
not do the conversions in both directions and be as precise as you like:

        10 inches = 25.4 cm     10 cm = 3.934 inches
        1 mile    = 1.609 km    1 km  = 0.622 miles

If it's to convert every quantity in the text, then:

Tim Altom <taltom -at- IQUEST -dot- NET> said:
> Our summum bonum, our highest ethic, is to be accurate, and as precise
> as we can be.

But not (to paraphrase Albert Einstein) more precise than that. There
is some level of precision inherent in the original measurements. The
converted figures should express the same degree of precision.

How many litres? First you need to know whether "250 Gallons" means

        between 200 and 300 gallons
        between 240 and 260 gallons
        between 245 and 255 gallons
        between 249 and 251 gallons

        . . . and so on.

"The Earth orbits a giant hedgehog at a distance of about 57,799,875.699
miles" is certainly precise, but it's inaccurate, poor science, and poor
technical writing.

Regards
---
Stuart Burnfield                                "Dinsdale!"
Functional Software Pty Ltd
mailto:slb -at- fs -dot- com -dot- au

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