Stupid Textbook!

**MeBad** · 04-20-09, 10:04 PM

I spent 3 1/2 hours on a physics problem yesterday, sure as hell that I was doing it right, but everytime I submitted the answer it was wrong. :8 Feeling like a complete invalid I decided to pay my teacher a visit before class to find out what I might be doing wrong. The teacher takes one look at the formula I was using from the textbook, and tells me that my formulas fraction is inverted wrong. Say what

I pulled it directly from the book!

Turns out I have an older edition that just so happens to have a typo on the formula that I was using! :5 What a complete waste of time! So ya, I hate it when I pay 125 bucks for a book with critical typos that makes me feel retarded, and causes me to waste 3 1/2 hours solving a problem wrong! Here's to the editor

**reject_wolf** · 04-20-09, 10:09 PM

I guess that is the bad thing about older editions, but at the same time, if it was wrong in the 7th edition of the book, then that is horrible.

**DJ Ms. White** · 04-20-09, 10:25 PM

A good way to check the answer with physics and engineering problems is to look at the units of the final answer. If you're expecting energy units and you get, say, units of force, chances are you can find where the mistake happened (whether it was your fault or not) by tracing the path of the units.

**reject_wolf** · 04-20-09, 10:30 PM

Dimensional analysis, easily the greatest thing about sciences.

**MeBad** · 04-20-09, 11:40 PM

Originally Posted by DJ Mr. White

A good way to check the answer with physics and engineering problems is to look at the units of the final answer. If you're expecting energy units and you get, say, units of force, chances are you can find where the mistake happened (whether it was your fault or not) by tracing the path of the units.

Funny you say that. My father in law was a chemistry teacher in highschool, and was giving me a hard time the other day for not writing my units down when he was helping me with a problem. Lesson learned!

**DJ Ms. White** · 04-21-09, 01:19 AM

It really does help. All the way up to my current class, where I'm applying QM and Statistical Mechanics to Thermodynamics. :8

**Infamous** · 04-26-09, 10:48 PM

What i really hate about textbooks is mine always get thrown into my locker then they get wrecked so i gota pay for them and textbooks are crazy money for a book.( i know this may not be about your question but i just really hate textbooks)

**Cojiro** · 04-27-09, 04:41 PM

Originally Posted by Infamous

What i really hate about textbooks is mine always get thrown into my locker then they get wrecked so i gota pay for them and textbooks are crazy money for a book.( i know this may not be about your question but i just really hate textbooks)

your gonna love college, you gotta pay for your books no matter what