Use of significant figures

[dcornstubble]

Bill,

We are somewhat running up to a time crunch and need to know the interpretation of N.Q.3. The string below was in the original general questions. If you or someone can help us out, we’d greatly appreciate it. Thanks!
Patricia says:
April 26, 2012 at 10:21 am

Our department has been trying to interpret the strands and we are having a difficult time. One question we have is regarding N.Q.3. (Choose a level of accuracy appropriate to limitations on measurement when reporting quantities). Does this mean that students should be able to calculate relative error and percent error?

Bill McCallum says:
April 26, 2012 at 12:21 pm

No, that exceeds the standard. The standard just mean students should be able to choose the right level of accuracy. For example, if the legs of a right triangle are measured using a ruler marked in 10ths of a centimeter, and you calculate the hypotenuse using the Pythagorean theorem, it does not make sense to report the answer to two decimal places.

David Thiel says:
April 30, 2012 at 8:59 am

Would teaching rules for computing with significant figures also exceed the standard? Science teachers would be pleased if such rules were taught in first-year algebra.

Dean says:
July 25, 2012 at 10:45 am

I too have the same question and am interested to know the response to the question David referred to below on April 30, 2012. Please let us know.

[Bill McCallum]

I agree it would be great if students learned rules for computing with scientific figures, but the standard doesn’t ask for that. One of the reason mathematics curricula get overstuffed is a sort of “eat-dessert-first” mentality which accepts all the topics that we (or science teachers) love.

[Author]

Posts