Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site linus.UUCP Path: utzoo!linus!meister From: meister@linus.UUCP (Phillip W. Servita) Newsgroups: net.med,net.math Subject: Re: The Perils of Nutrasweet: digits of precision Message-ID: <509@linus.UUCP> Date: Tue, 20-Aug-85 03:56:52 EDT Article-I.D.: linus.509 Posted: Tue Aug 20 03:56:52 1985 Date-Received: Wed, 21-Aug-85 07:08:52 EDT References: <771@burl.UUCP> <394@petrus.UUCP> <182@steinmetz.UUCP> Reply-To: meister@linus.UUCP (Philip W. Servita) Organization: The MITRE Corporation, Bedford, MA Lines: 48 Xref: linus net.med:1927 net.math:1820 In article <402@phri.UUCP> roy@phri.UUCP (Roy Smith) writes: > This is getting rather off the point, but some of you might like >this. During one of my interviews for college, I was asked a typical >stupid interview question: "What's the area of a table 3 meters wide by 4 >meters long?" I poked around with various counter-probes like, "Do you >mean the area of just the top surface, or the top and bottom combined?" and >then came up with the obvious answer; 12 meters^2. > > Anyway, it turns out the "correct" answer is 1 * 10^1 meters^2; >since the initial data only had 1 digit of accuracy, that's all the final >answer can have. When my high school physics teacher asked this (actually, the figures were different, but the question the same) question, and then told us the "correct" answer, i said: "BULL PATTIES!!!" this was 4 years ago, as a high school junior. If i was asked the same question now, however, I WOULD STILL SAY 12 METERS SQUARE. And when i would get the "correct answer" in return, I WOULD STILL SAY "BULL PATTIES!!!". Sorry, significant figures freaks, but the question "Whats the area of a table 3 meters wide by 4 meters long" is totally theoretical in nature. You have GIVEN me a table 3 by 4. i dont know how or care how you measured it, you have GIVEN me a table 3 by 4. and GIVEN: a table 3 x 4 meters THEN: that table has an area of 12 meters square. PERIOD. To illustrate this further, let me ask two other questions: 1) (the math majors question) What is the area of a two dimensional rectangular pink elephant 3 meters wide by 4 meters long? 2) (what the physics and sig figs people SHOULD ask) Using a stick ruled only in meters, i measured a table to be about 3 meters wide by 4 meters long. What is its area? (correct answer about 10 meters square) you were right with your 12 meters square answer. -phil