Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Introduction
- How important is maths in data-handling?
- Abbreviations and the Système International
- Acknowledgements
- 1 Numbers and indices
- 2 A sense of proportion
- 3 Graphs
- 4 Algebra
- 5 Logarithms: exponential and logarithmic functions
- 6 Simple statistics
- 7 Preparing solutions and media
- 8 Enzymes
- 9 Spectrophotometry
- 10 Energy metabolism
- 11 Radioactivity
- 12 Growth in batch cultures
- 13 Growth in continuous culture
- 14 Microbial genetics
- 15 Problems
- 16 Advice and hints
- 17 Answers to problems
- Conclusion
- Further reading
- Index
2 - A sense of proportion
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 05 June 2012
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Introduction
- How important is maths in data-handling?
- Abbreviations and the Système International
- Acknowledgements
- 1 Numbers and indices
- 2 A sense of proportion
- 3 Graphs
- 4 Algebra
- 5 Logarithms: exponential and logarithmic functions
- 6 Simple statistics
- 7 Preparing solutions and media
- 8 Enzymes
- 9 Spectrophotometry
- 10 Energy metabolism
- 11 Radioactivity
- 12 Growth in batch cultures
- 13 Growth in continuous culture
- 14 Microbial genetics
- 15 Problems
- 16 Advice and hints
- 17 Answers to problems
- Conclusion
- Further reading
- Index
Summary
If the Eiffel tower were now representing the world's age, the skin of paint on the pinnacle-knob at its summit would represent man's share of that age, and anybody would perceive that the skin was what the tower was built for. I reckon they would, I dunno.
Mark TwainThe object of this chapter is to encourage you to think whether or not your answer to a problem looks reasonable or ridiculous. In general, a reasonable answer is likely to be a right answer. An answer that looks ridiculous might also be right, but you should then be alert to check your calculation very carefully. Of course, there will be times when you do not know what to make of an answer – is it reasonable or is it not? The better your background of knowledge and experience, the less often will this uncertainty happen.
A ridiculous answer that is wrong
Here is the problem: calculate what dry weight of bacteria will be present in 10 litres of medium in a fermenter after 10 h when at time zero there are 10 organisms ml−1 and there is a lag of 1 h before exponential growth (doubling time 20 min) begins. One organism has a dry weight of 1 × 10−12 g.
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- Data-Handling in Biomedical Science , pp. 5 - 8Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2010