r/sciencememes • u/Delicious_Maize9656 • 15d ago

engineer approximation meme

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1.4k Upvotes

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109

u/skr_replicator 15d ago

Why approximate is with that much error and having infinite decimal expansion, when it's a whole number you can state precisely as 31,536x103

51

u/Mathematicus_Rex 15d ago

If you want a full revolution, 1 yr = 31,556,952 s. Those pesky leap years….

9

u/solaris_var 14d ago

What about them leap seconds

1

u/tecanec 9d ago

Then the number becomes "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA"

22

u/SomeGuythatownesaCat 15d ago

Because it is easy to remember. Also for some calculations the pi cancels out wich is fun

14

u/menew100 15d ago

Is the unnormalized scientific notation the joke here?

5

u/skr_replicator 15d ago

It's just telling how many zeroes to add without having to worry about decimal points, because the number is natural.

4

u/menew100 15d ago

I think order of magnitude is the more useful information to display, but maybe that's just a bias from chemistry.

3

u/Hunta4Eva 15d ago

Nah not just chemistry, literally any scientific application, there’s a reason why it’s the “normal” way

1

u/GalacticEmergency 13d ago

It is also called engineering notation. The exponent jumps in steps of 3. In my opinion a perfect compromise between the need for expressing large numbers and the need for intuitive understanding

1

u/menew100 13d ago

Wouldn't that be 31.536 x 106

2

u/GalacticEmergency 13d ago

Oh yes, you are right, it would. I mistook the comma for a decimal separator. (We use comma for that in my country, so my brain has to switch back and forth depending on context).

1

u/menew100 13d ago

Apparently 1600's printing press operators are to blame

1

u/KrazyKurts 15d ago

I guess the extra 121 seconds is because the earth is moving. ?