• CameronDev@programming.dev
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    7 months ago

    For the purpose of teaching young school kids how to substitute real values for constants/variables, does it matter? π is a constant, but the value you use for it in exams and real life will not be the same, or the actual correct value. Getting students used to the idea that even constants can have varying values in exams or software is useful.

    In my exams π had values ranging from 3, 3.1 to whatever the calculator had. g also ranged from 9.8 to 10, although in fairness g is not a constant.

    At least setting it to 5 can spark debate around what a more reasonable approximation should be.

    • new_guy@lemmy.world
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      7 months ago

      OP’s problem isn’t even wrong.

      It’s just assuming that π is 5 in this specific scenario, just like it’s reasonable to assume the existence of a spherical cow in a frictionless environment. Yeah, if you use the results of this problem to develop a real cylinder you’re going to have a bad time but nobody is doing that all what’s the problem?

      Nobody is saying that from this point in time and going forward π = 5 and now math is broken forever. People need to chill