[34S & 31S] Unique display mode: significant figures
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02-07-2015, 10:13 PM
Post: #4
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RE: [34S & 31S] Unique display mode: significant figures
(02-07-2015 09:01 PM)Bit Wrote: The WP 34S and 31S have for a long time had a compile time option to add the rarely seen 'significant figures' display mode, implemented by Nigel. Very few calculators offer this feature, one example is the Commodore S61 from 1976. Nigel and I have recently been working on some improvements, have fixed a few minor issues and introduced an intuitive user interface. Two new modes are available: SIG and its zero-padded variant, SIG0. Both modes accept arguments from 0 to 7, allowing up to 8 of the most significant digits to be displayed. Many thanks to Bit for the work done on bringing the significant figures mode for the WP 34S and 31S up to date. Since (as Bit points out) it hasn't been included on very many calculators in the last forty years, I thought I'd just explain why I took the trouble to write it and why I like it so much. First question: why limit significant figures at all on a calculator that can handle numbers with up to 37 or so digits? The answer is simple: I am a physics teacher, and when my students and I do experiments the quantities we measure are rarely known to more than 3 significant figures. I like being able to limit the digits displayed to a realistic number and that number is always much less than 12, let alone 37! Second question: what's wrong with SCI or ENG mode? These modes do limit significant figures, but they also impose trailing zeroes and standard form. I do not like entering "2" and seeing it displayed as "2.00E00". This is partly because I like my calculator to do my work for me, but it's also nice to show my students calculated resistances, angles of refraction, volumes, pressures, densities (etc.) on the screen of my WP-34S to exactly 3 significant figures. My younger students (and some older ones too) who don't "get" powers of ten can then see what 3 s.f. means and that I practise what I preach (although, as yet, none have been persuaded to get a WP-34S for themselves!). If you want to avoid standard form but still need trailing zeroes then SIG0 mode lets you do this. "2" is displayed as "2.00" in SIG0_2 mode. This goes beyond teaching. Except when doing accounts or integer arithmetic, when can you really justify using more than 3 or 4 s.f.? Most of the digits in an answer are just noise. My calculator is nearly always set to SIG_2 or SIG_3 mode; everything looks so much neater and (nearly) every displayed digit means something. If you download a firmware versions that includes this feature, give it a try! You may find that you like it. Or not. But it's there if you ever want it. Nigel (UK) |
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