Re:Should Community Colleges Abolish Algebra?
by nanolith on Thursday July 20, 2017 @12:33PM
(#14813951)
Yes. It can only be answered experimentally, but the Square Law still applies, with constants to account for reaction time and friction. The point is that someone who has studied Algebra would be able to recognize a polynomial in the data and could match the data to a reasonable function just by taking measurements.
That is the power of Algebra, and it is something that all adults should possess.
Q: If I am driving at 20 miles per hour, it takes my vehicle 20 feet to stop. If I am driving at 40 miles per hour, how much distance will it take my vehicle to stop?
A: This can only be answered experimentally for a given car, tire condition & road condition, but a rough estimate would be to apply the square law naively, giving an answer of 80 feet, but of course that's very approximate. The only correct answer that can be given is "more than 40 feet".