lingo

=Common lingo=

Units, Conversions, Scientific Notation and -yes!- Significant Figures, plus Scalars and Vectors for good measure
We better make sure we speak the same language.

No doubt some of you are infused with the importance of using (SI) units and already use scientific notation so well that you use it when ordering coffee -"one 5.00 times ten to the minus two litres of your dark roast, please". Similarly with your appreciation of significant figures that you role your eyes when you read on your Huffington Post App that there were "100,000 thousand people gathered for the demonstration", for surely they mean 1 x 10⁵ people (I know, some people would argue that 100,000 means that, if you want 100,000 to 5 sig figs it should read 100,000. but I find that too strange ... and what do you do when it comes at the end of a sentence -there is a reason why we have scientific notation!).

However, perhaps as a refresher, I ask you all to be familiar with the following Khan Academy videos: Unit Conversion Scientific Notation and you can find some more examples if you need here Scientific Notation Examples Significant Figures is a particularly nice video, which continues with these More on Sig Figs (you may skip this one if you comfortable with it), Sig Figs when multiplying and dividing, Sig Figs when adding and subtracting, and in case you have time a nice reminder of Sig Figs and pure number.

We shan't forget the oh-so importance of scalars and vectors. I am assuming you are happy with them, but if not make sure that you have gone through this video by September 20th: Vectors and Scalars.

You are expected to be comfortable with some basic trigonometry, i.e., the sin, cos and tan in right-angled triangles (why: because we like to divide our world into a Cartesian coordinate system). If you need a little review, I suggest the following Khan Academy videos: Trig Basics I Trig Basics II Using Trig ratios I (Khan Academy calls it Trig Functions, but in this form, I think it is more useful to think of it as trig ratios). Using Trig ratios II

I will have some exercise sheets for you to pour over in class to ensure we are all using the same language.

Enjoy, Arnosaurus Dirks.