Like when we cut a cake in half its not possible for us to cut it literally down to the atomic level in half is it? so when we say we are going to cut a cake in half we are making an approximation aren't we not?
Here are some other things?
When we measure the length of tv with a ruler, we may be off by at least 0.000001mm...
or when we say we have six apples, two of the apples may have had some 'apple' removed from it, but we would say wed have six apples though anyway, so most of things we say are approximations right?
Here are some other things?
When we measure the length of tv with a ruler, we may be off by at least 0.000001mm...
or when we say we have six apples, two of the apples may have had some 'apple' removed from it, but we would say wed have six apples though anyway, so most of things we say are approximations right?
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Yes. There's enough uncertainty at the quantum level that I doubt you could cut a cake in half even hypothetically with unlimited resources. Well, maybe if you cooled it to absolute zero... but that's problematic itself. In physics every measurement has (or should have) an error margin.
Some things aren't approximations, like the value of coins or the second decimal digit of pi, but most things you'll encounter in the real world are approximate.
Some things aren't approximations, like the value of coins or the second decimal digit of pi, but most things you'll encounter in the real world are approximate.
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Yes indeedy, and the only absolute proofs are in pure mathematics. We may live in the 'digital' era, but nature will always be analogue. ... and all modelling in science is inexact.
There will always be terms in the complete equation that we have to assume are negligible. For instance, the non-linear partial differential equations of fluid flow, the "Navier Stokes equations" are completely insoluble. So the only way to get an answer out is to use a finite element model by chopping the flow field up into lots of little triangles. But it'll never be perfect because those elements can never be infinitesimal.
There will always be terms in the complete equation that we have to assume are negligible. For instance, the non-linear partial differential equations of fluid flow, the "Navier Stokes equations" are completely insoluble. So the only way to get an answer out is to use a finite element model by chopping the flow field up into lots of little triangles. But it'll never be perfect because those elements can never be infinitesimal.