Zia M. answered • 08/19/20
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New to Wyzant
Zia M, Sophomore at Macalester College
Based on the notion of significant figures, it would be inaccurate to say that 2+2=4.00. The answer to a problem shouldn't have more sig figs than any of the individual components of the problem.
Zia M.
The simple answer is that the solution to the problem can't be more specific than the information for the problem that you were given. If I add 2 meters to 2 meters, I know that I have 4 meters, but since I wasn't given anything more specific in the problem, then I can't make the answer more precise. If that still doesn't make sense, try thinking of it like this: If I said that I had 20-ish people in a room, and I put another 20-ish people in the room, it wouldn't make any sense for me to say that I have exactly 40 people in that room. Since my original measurements are 20-ish plus 20-ish, the most accurate conclusion I can draw is that I have 40-ish people in the room. Does that help at all?
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08/19/20
Jenny C.
That does make sense. Thank you. I was thinking if 2 is taken to be a natural number and + the addition thereof, then as + is closed in the natural numbers, the result of 2 + 2 is a natural number. In that case 2 + 2 = 4 , where 4 is a natural number . While the magnitude of 4 is the same as 4.00 , the latter is a real number and so permits different operations. These are not necessarily "the same.”
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08/19/20
Jenny C.
“The answer to a problem shouldn't have more sig figs than any of the individual components of the problem.“ do you know why?08/19/20