Rounding pi to 3 is just the engineering way. It’s close enough to get the job done and then I don’t have to worry about decimal places. However, using pi=3 typically undershoots your calculations, so personally I like to use pi=4
I finally found you, an engineer actually using π=3 (or 4 as you say), and not just people making fun of it.
I am also an engineer, but I’m going to wager much more recently graduated (worked 3.5 years).
Who hurt you?
Like, I get it, in a world before calculators, but there’s a button on the calculator, in your spreadsheet, in whatever program that approximates pi to many, many, many digits.
Putting in a design/safety margins into pi seems like a strange choice.
Sincerely, an engineer looking for answers on this π=3 meme.
Even if it’s back of the napkin first past approximation. You have a phone calculator. Please use it for our collective peace haha
Only 7 years of engineering experience and pretty much every time I have used pi, I have rounded it to 3 or 4. Now, the thing is, I am an electrical engineer that works in industrial automation. I never use pi at all
Rounding pi to 3 is just the engineering way. It’s close enough to get the job done and then I don’t have to worry about decimal places. However, using pi=3 typically undershoots your calculations, so personally I like to use pi=4
An error margin of less than 5% (even better, biased in a known direction) is more than good enough for plenty of use cases.
An error margin of more than 25% on the other hand, is seldom acceptable.
It’s called safety factor
Nah, it’s fine. Trust me I use pi=4 in every calculation I do that uses pi and I haven’t ever run into any issues at all
(I’m not that type of engineer, I never do anything with pi)
One is an error margin, the other a factor of safety!
I finally found you, an engineer actually using π=3 (or 4 as you say), and not just people making fun of it.
I am also an engineer, but I’m going to wager much more recently graduated (worked 3.5 years).
Who hurt you?
Like, I get it, in a world before calculators, but there’s a button on the calculator, in your spreadsheet, in whatever program that approximates pi to many, many, many digits.
Putting in a design/safety margins into pi seems like a strange choice.
Sincerely, an engineer looking for answers on this π=3 meme.
Even if it’s back of the napkin first past approximation. You have a phone calculator. Please use it for our collective peace haha
(All jibes in jest, I’m genuinely curious)
Only 7 years of engineering experience and pretty much every time I have used pi, I have rounded it to 3 or 4. Now, the thing is, I am an electrical engineer that works in industrial automation. I never use pi at all