Quote:
The ^2 symbol applies to what's immediately before it.


that makes sense.

so would you agree that

2bananas * 2bananas = 4bananas^2 ( Four Bananas Squared )

is wrong.


the problem in the above is that he used a result
that requires squaring.

4 bananas squared = 16 bananas

if he was going to use a number that requires squaring he should have used numbers that require squaring

such as 2(squared)ft * 2(squared)ft = 4(squared)ft which is equal to 16(square)ft
4*4=16
2^2 = 4
4^4 = 16


bananas = bananas anyway you just keep the units

so when he wrote

2bananas * 2bananas = 4bananas^2 ( Four Bananas Squared )
his equation was wrong if he was going to deliver a result using (bananas squared)

so if anything the correct answer should be 4 sq bananas if bananas were a unit of measurement.

Quote:
The ^2 symbol applies to what's immediately before it.


and since theres no symbol for square.

the above doesnt even work.

because
4^2ft = 16 ft
and
4ft^2 = 16 ft


I look at it and I see that the 4 needs to be squared.
I have been brainwashed to believe that the ^ symbol means
that you multiply the number directly before it by itself
times the number directly after the ^ even if there are units between the ^ and the number before it.

we need a symbol for (Square) or our answers will be wrong.

we cant use ^2 to represent both square and squared

or we just write it out in words as in the above.

ie..

2bananas * 2bananas = 4 Bananas

2sq bananas * 2sq bananas = 4 sq bananas

2 bananas squared * 2 bananas squared = 4 bananas squared

Quote:
(But the "logic" is that the math has to be consistent ... which it won't be in your method.)


which is not as far off as 256 bananas^4 which is equal to
1,099,511,627,776 bananas

I dont know about the many disturbing ways that people who need to apply math during the course of their daily routine or their job use to determine a correct answer using some type of calculation or program that performs calculations for them because they didnt bother to learn how to perform calculations in school the proper way as they should have.

but I do know that materials have stress limits and if you add in a 20% over stress limit and your structure becomes over stressed by 21% then your structure can fail.

and when calculating the weight of concrete that is to be poured on each floor using crap to do your calculations for you will most likely cause the building to fall under the stress of itself.

I personaly would prefer to do my own calculations or at least program my own calculator.

that wolfram and google should not be used by engineers who build buildings they should learn math.

or learn how to program their own programs to do the correct math for them.

and as far as algebra is concerned ,I have taken algebra thats why I never use it.

I never have found it to be usefull at any point in my life.

I truly believe it is a waste of brain space and valuable student time.

often I think of it as filler in a book that needs filler
to complete a certain number of pages that the editor requires.

it serves absolutely no other purpose than filler.

If I had a chance to vote against algebra being taught in our schools , I would.

this would free up valuable student time and then students could be taught things that they could actually use vs algebra.



3/4 inch of dust build up on the moon in 4.527 billion years,LOL and QM is fantasy science.