Ross Esmond

Code, Prose, and Mathematics.

portrait of myself, Ross Esmond
Written

Math doublecheck

This a recap of the

The University Physics Doublecheck

This is my process for doublechecking math about the real world, mostly learned during college.

There are 5 things you should check after doing some math about the real world:

  • Question—Check that you answered the right question.
  • Input—Check that you punched the input numbers in correctly when you ran the final calculation.
  • Output—Check that the output number is a reasonable result.
  • Units—Check that the units, when put through the same equations, give the expected result.
  • Sig Figs—Check that you’re using the correct significant figures, given the inputs.