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Constant of Proportionality

Posted: November 12th, 2019, 8:50 am
by drcubbin
For those of you who have attended an invitational already, question.... I see on the score sheet for Simple Machines (Div B) that the ratio scores are being inputted as A/B and B/C. Are you giving them the proportion as 4:1. 6:1, 3.2:1, etc... or are you dividing A by B and answering with the constant of proportionality? For example 4:1 = 4 Are the supervisors asking for 4:1 or 4? And if so (for those of you who have done the event already) is A > B and B > C so as to give you an answer > 1 or have you had events where you have to give something less than 1, for example 1:4 = 0.25?
One more question. How many decimals are you being asked to bring it out to - tenths, hundredths, thousandths?? Much appreciated!

Re: Constant of Proportionality

Posted: November 12th, 2019, 4:26 pm
by Fallsbury
Even though I have not attended an invy so far this year, here are my guesses:
It asks for the ratios A/B and B/C. This is probably two different ratios as I'm pretty sure it says so on the score sheet. Also, I think that these ratios need to be constant of proportionality because it would be easier to immediately put in into the score sheet instead of dividing out each ratio for every person. I think that they would say in the competition how many decimals to round to because different competitions most likely have different scales with different precision, and it depends on the precision of the scale that they use to measure the mass of the 3 objects. However, I've not attended an invy so I really don't know if this is correct. By the way, I'm a big fan of yours.

Re: Constant of Proportionality

Posted: November 12th, 2019, 4:27 pm
by LiteralRhinoceros
isnt there a sig figs guide in the rules manual
as for the accuracy, you're better off asking the supervisor, for the ratio score, unless im reading the rules wrong its just dependent on the measured value of block A divided by the measured value of block B, and like so for B/C.

Re: Constant of Proportionality

Posted: November 12th, 2019, 4:35 pm
by Fallsbury
yeah but the first part says that the sig figs in the measurement depends on the precision of the instrument
"Significant Figures in measurement include all the digits of a number that can be read directly from
the markings or graduations of the instrument or measuring device plus the digit that is estimated. The
last digit (and only the last one) of a measurement should be an estimate, which is counted as a
significant figure"

Re: Constant of Proportionality

Posted: November 12th, 2019, 4:39 pm
by LiteralRhinoceros
you right

Re: Constant of Proportionality

Posted: November 13th, 2019, 4:22 pm
by drcubbin
Fallsbury wrote: November 12th, 2019, 4:26 pm By the way, I'm a big fan of yours.
Thanks and right back at you and your team as well!