NationStates Jolt Archive

Okay... why is the decimal point placed to create a value between 1 and 10? There has to be a reason and don't tell me because it is. If you don't know, then don't post. Is it because it's multiplied by an exponent of 10?

Okay... why is the decimal point placed to create a value between 1 and 10? There has to be a reason and don't tell me because it is. If you don't know, then don't post. Is it because it's multiplied by an exponent of 10?

A value between 1 and 10? You mean like 5.4? The point shows it is not a whole...

exponential form is 'e to the something' isn't it? where e is an irrational number kinda like pi...

do you mean like y^x?

edit: or that 1E+10 form?

I don't believe there is a decimal point between 1 and 10 though I think there's one beween 0 and 1. :)

Oskana if you arent happy with Decimals .5 then use Fractions 1/2 or 2/4(If you want to be reatrded!)

A value between 1 and 10? You mean like 5.4? The point shows it is not a whole...

Well no shit.

645 nanoseconds= 6.45 X 10*-2 X 10*6= 6.45 X 10*-4s

The negative 2 is to put it into "exponential form". Insetad of 645 nanoseconds, it now becomes 6.45 nanoseconds=....

The six is to convert it to seconds, standard SI base unit. Why does it have to be between 1 and 10? In other words, why can't it be 64.5 X ... or 645 X...

Oskana if you arent happy with Decimals .5 then use Fractions 1/2 or 2/4(If you want to be reatrded!)

No no. Can't use fractions, I have to use decimals.

No no. Can't use fractions, I have to use decimals.

Decimals are part of the French conspiracy to convert the world to the metric system.

Well no shit.

645 nanoseconds= 6.45 X 10*-2 X 10*6= 6.45 X 10*-4s

The negative 2 is to put it into "exponential form". Insetad of 645 nanoseconds, it now becomes 6.45 nanoseconds=....

The six is to convert it to seconds, standard SI base unit. Why does it have to be between 1 and 10? In other words, why can't it be 64.5 X ... or 645 X...

It's to do with significant figures. That way everything you have there is to 3sf.

Well no shit.

645 nanoseconds= 6.45 X 10*-2 X 10*6= 6.45 X 10*-4s

The negative 2 is to put it into "exponential form". Insetad of 645 nanoseconds, it now becomes 6.45 nanoseconds=....

The six is to convert it to seconds, standard SI base unit. Why does it have to be between 1 and 10? In other words, why can't it be 64.5 X ... or 645 X...

Because it is a uniform convention used to make things simpler and standardised?

Maybe it has to do with factoring. I can't do math. They don't give you enough theory. Whenever I watch a movie I have to know every detail to understand it because not knowing the little details drives me *insane*.

Maybe it has to do with factoring. I can't do math. They don't give you enough theory. Whenever I watch a movie I have to know every detail to understand it because not knowing the little details drives me *insane*.


As I said, its to keep the number of sig. figs coherent, (or at least that was the idea).

Because it is a uniform convention used to make things simpler and standardised?

Damn it. I said I need a mathematical reason. :mad:

Sorry if I was mean. I'm just frustrated.

You're thinking about scientific notation, which is x * 10 ^ y, i.e. 5.3 times 10 ^ 2, which is 530. The decimal is put there to make the main number less than 10, since the system is expressing numbers on a power of 10. If it were 53 times 10 ^ 2, you'd have another number, 5300. That would mess up the system, because you'd have to worry about numbers ending in zero themselves, and then you get into significant figure rules, etc. As to "well let's just us 53 * 10^1 then!" Well yea, but the goal of scientific notation is to express large numbers by counting the number of times 10 is in it, not how many zeros.

Damn it. I said I need a mathematical reason. :mad:

Sorry if I was mean. I'm just frustrated.

Just accept it and move on.

Maybe it has to do with factoring. I can't do math. They don't give you enough theory. Whenever I watch a movie I have to know every detail to understand it because not knowing the little details drives me *insane*.

Trust me, the details in math would drive you insane. The proof for a seemingly simple concept can be incredibly complicated.

You're thinking about scientific notation, which is x * 10 ^ y, i.e. 5.3 times 10 ^ 2, which is 530. The decimal is put there to make the main number less than 10, since the system is expressing numbers on a power of 10. If it were 53 times 10 ^ 2, you'd have another number, 5300. That would mess up the system, because you'd have to worry about numbers ending in zero themselves, and then you get into significant figure rules, etc. As to "well let's just us 53 * 10^1 then!" Well yea, but the goal of scientific notation is to express large numbers by counting the number of times 10 is in it, not how many zeros.

Thank you! That's what I thought. It makes sense. It can't have anything to do with significant numbers because the conversion is growing exponentially. The fundamental rule of multiplying significant figures states that the end result cannot have anymore significant figures than the factor with the fewest significant figures.

Trust me, the details in math would drive you insane. The proof for a seemingly simple concept can be incredibly complicated.

I know that but when it comes to these things I'm really "anal". If I could just accept things, I would but I can't.

Maybe it has to do with factoring. I can't do math. They don't give you enough theory. Whenever I watch a movie I have to know every detail to understand it because not knowing the little details drives me *insane*.
Watch Momento featuring Guy Pierce that confused the hell out of me i couldnt understand it with back ground chatter!

okay. the reason that they do that is because it's not really useful to have either 32423747000000000000000000000000000000000 or 0.00000000000000000000000000000023452634.

So what the do is move the decimal point X spaces to the left (so if you move it to the right you get a -X). The new number goes into the form
1.3532453 * 10^X.

It just looks way better

okay. the reason that they do that is because it's not really useful to have either 32423747000000000000000000000000000000000 or 0.00000000000000000000000000000023452634.

So what the do is move the decimal point X spaces to the left (so if you move it to the right you get a -X). The new number goes into the form
1.3532453 * 10^X.

It just looks way better

I think he was asking why you use 1.352453 * 10^X instead of 13.52453 * 1-^X-1. Or not, I don't know. Either way, my explination above is just as valid as yours, lol.

Okay... why is the decimal point placed to create a value between 1 and 10? There has to be a reason and don't tell me because it is. If you don't know, then don't post. Is it because it's multiplied by an exponent of 10?

We do it that way to confuse you. It's a global conspiracy against Oksana. :p

Okay... why is the decimal point placed to create a value between 1 and 10? There has to be a reason and don't tell me because it is. If you don't know, then don't post. Is it because it's multiplied by an exponent of 10?

By a power of ten, yes.

See, if the number gets larger than ten, you can simply divide by ten and add one to the exponent.

There isn't really a reason why it shouldn't be, say, between 0 and 1, but this way you're using the digit before the decimal point, which would otherwise be wasted by filling it with '0'.