[34S & 31S] Unique display mode: significant figures

[walter b]

(02-08-2015 03:06 AM)BarryMead Wrote:  There are a number of scientific disciplines (especially chemistry) that consider it an ERROR to include more significant digits in your answer than were presented in the numbers of the original problem. Using these calculator modes to CLAMP OFF the significant digits to a right size would help prevent researchers/students in these disciplines from accidentally supplying an erroneously OVER-ACCURATE answer.

IIRC, that's something also taught in physics in 2nd year at university in the basic lab course, mentioning Mr. C. F. Gauß who found the rules of error propagation (among other important stuff). Please cf. pp. 226 and 348 of the spiral bound manual. If, however, all papers could scream where over-accurate results were printed between 1972 and today, you'll never visit the sci/tech section of a library anymore. Seems many people forget those rules pretty soon.

d:-)