Is it true or false that Scientific calculations do not have to be exact?

Question

janet8485858 · Answer

PLease help me quickly because i am in the class and i am confused and the teacher won't help me!!!

janet8485858 · Answer

hello? anyone? can you help me?

osprey · Answer

It IS true that calculations do not have to be exact. If your teacher has ever told you to "round a result" to, say, 1 decimal place, or to 2 significant figures that's a HINT that you are approximating and therefore not exact. I often used g as 10m/s/s, rather than 9.81, to get an estimate of some calculation. A very good example of an approximation in the number pi. 3 ? 3.142 ? 3.14159 ? Pi seems to be an irrational number to which there is no exact value, so that anything you put down is an approximation bon chance et bon voyage http://perendis.webs.com

sapphiremoon · Answer

No, they don't have to be exact. How exact your teacher wants them depends on which class it is. My physics teacher usually 1 d.p. is fine, for my chem teacher I have to follow sig fig rules. Generally 3 sig figs and you should be safe.