Idea 6of 6Builds onClose, or consistent
A verdict no bigger than the evidence
How much can your data claim?
Today you'll discover
- why 'proved' is almost always too much
- what your digits silently promise
- how many digits to keep
Think firstFive drops gave 9.7, 9.9, 9.8, 9.6 and 10.0 m/s²
Which conclusion do these five numbers support?
Decide first, then press Next. The analyse and conclude boxes carry the claim.
The inquiry ring. After a prediction, the analyse box and then the conclude box are named, with the five readings and their spread. The last step asks how many digits to report for a calculated speed.
See the whole ideathe big idea and the key word, in one place
The big idea
Claim what the data supports. Keep only the digits you earned.
Easy to get wrong'Proved' is almost always too strong. Five readings that spread support 'about 9.8, within a few percent', and that is a real result.
Key word
- precision
- how finely a result is known, shown by the number of digits it carries; never finer than the roughest measurement behind it
Ready to use it?
- Write a conclusion that claims exactly what the data supports.