A Space & astronomy forum. SpaceBanter.com

Go Back   Home » SpaceBanter.com forum » Astronomy and Astrophysics » Astronomy Misc
Site Map Home Authors List Search Today's Posts Mark Forums Read Web Partners

Base 10 logarithms are evil



 
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Prev Previous Post   Next Post Next
  #1  
Old February 20th 10, 12:21 AM posted to sci.math,sci.physics,sci.astro
Andrew Usher
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 586
Default Base 10 logarithms are evil

The very first tables of logarithms were according to the natural base
e (essentially). Base 10 was only adopted because it is somewhat more
easy for calculation with the decimal system. Now that technology was
obliviated the need to use log table for calculating, there is no
further reason to use base 10 logarithms at all.

Yet, many fields of science continue to do so. Sometimes this creates
confusion, as in the fact that optical depths may be measured either
way, and it is not always specified which. There is no benefit to
thinking in base 10, conceptually, and there is the serious
disadvantages of always having to insert factors of log 10.

Using base 10 logs is another example (along with the metric system)
of ignorant decimal-philia.

Andrew Usher
 




Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

vB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Forum Jump

Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Evil Creatures Fight for Evil BELIEFS, versus the Rational Truth - {HRI 20080918-V1.5.1} Leonardo Been (Plato) Astronomy Misc 0 August 9th 09 11:19 AM
the evil of the christians Chris SETI 1 October 23rd 07 12:19 AM
Evil ~ Twittering One Misc 1 November 15th 04 04:09 AM
The Evil Man Is Back... Evil Man Policy 7 January 29th 04 04:01 PM


All times are GMT +1. The time now is 08:54 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.6.4
Copyright ©2000 - 2025, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Copyright ©2004-2025 SpaceBanter.com.
The comments are property of their posters.