Comments on: How to Develop a Sense of Scale http://betterexplained.com/articles/how-to-develop-a-sense-of-scale/ Learning shouldn't hurt. Let's share the insights that made difficult ideas click. Sun, 6 Jul 2008 23:42:36 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0 by: Kalid http://betterexplained.com/articles/how-to-develop-a-sense-of-scale/#comment-161923 Thu, 05 Jun 2008 18:09:23 +0000 http://betterexplained.com/articles/how-to-develop-a-sense-of-scale/#comment-161923 Thanks Led -- that's a really nice example too! When numbers get to that scale, we need to find ways to relate it to everyday objects (the earth) and not just have some giant exponent. Just for fun, we can do a quick calculation assuming a m&m is about 1cm x 1cm x 1cm. I figure you could make a layer about 4000 feet high! (http://tinyurl.com/4fs23g). Thanks for the comment. Thanks Led — that’s a really nice example too! When numbers get to that scale, we need to find ways to relate it to everyday objects (the earth) and not just have some giant exponent.

Just for fun, we can do a quick calculation assuming a m&m is about 1cm x 1cm x 1cm. I figure you could make a layer about 4000 feet high! (http://tinyurl.com/4fs23g). Thanks for the comment.

]]> by: Led http://betterexplained.com/articles/how-to-develop-a-sense-of-scale/#comment-161338 Wed, 04 Jun 2008 05:34:49 +0000 http://betterexplained.com/articles/how-to-develop-a-sense-of-scale/#comment-161338 Loved the article. It reminded me of a chemistry professor who tried to get us to wrap our heads around the number of atoms in a mole (6.023 X 10^23) by demonstrating that a mole of M&M's would completely cover the earth (although I don't remember the depth, it could have been 3ft or 3 miles). Either way, it was a pretty effective image. Loved the article.

It reminded me of a chemistry professor who tried to get us to wrap our heads around the number of atoms in a mole (6.023 X 10^23) by demonstrating that a mole of M&M’s would completely cover the earth (although I don’t remember the depth, it could have been 3ft or 3 miles). Either way, it was a pretty effective image.

]]> by: Kalid http://betterexplained.com/articles/how-to-develop-a-sense-of-scale/#comment-143079 Wed, 26 Mar 2008 15:15:16 +0000 http://betterexplained.com/articles/how-to-develop-a-sense-of-scale/#comment-143079 Hi maheshexp, glad you enjoyed it! Hi maheshexp, glad you enjoyed it!

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