Is there really an instance where adding two and
two can equal five?
Sort of, but it's really a sort of joke about rounding and estimating. Set your scientific calculator to round all numbers to integers (a "whole" number, with no decimal places). Enter the problem 2.48 + 2.47. Your calculator will automatically round. When you punch 2.48 and ENTER, it shows up on the display as 2. Punching in 2.47 and ENTER, also show up as 2. When you add, the sum 4.95 is rounded to 5. Hence, 2 + 2 = 5 if the value of 2 is large enough. All of this messing about has a serious point, though. Measurements are generally estimates, nearly always rounded to something. The 2 + 2 = 5 (if 2 is large enough) joke, is a reminder about the way estimation errors compound. So always remember to pay attention to those decimal places!
Sort of, but it's really a sort of joke about rounding and estimating. Set your scientific calculator to round all numbers to integers (a "whole" number, with no decimal places). Enter the problem 2.48 + 2.47. Your calculator will automatically round. When you punch 2.48 and ENTER, it shows up on the display as 2. Punching in 2.47 and ENTER, also show up as 2. When you add, the sum 4.95 is rounded to 5. Hence, 2 + 2 = 5 if the value of 2 is large enough. All of this messing about has a serious point, though. Measurements are generally estimates, nearly always rounded to something. The 2 + 2 = 5 (if 2 is large enough) joke, is a reminder about the way estimation errors compound. So always remember to pay attention to those decimal places!
Charles Mims
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