[delta_p_delta_x]

I suppose I think a bit differently. I don't know the typical pressure inside a steam engine. However, I do know what one bar, or one pascal means.

I can also guess what ninety atmospheres entails in terms of engineering, because I know that's the pressure at about 900 m water depth (by virtue of the SI units, which are based off water: P = hρg), which few submarines can even reach.

The same thing goes for 'as long as/as big as xxx football fields': which one? American or association? I know what a square metre is, I know what a square kilometre is, just use the damn units.

I really think pop-sci and science education should emphasise standard units (read: SI, not USC) and being able to estimate orders of magnitude.

[arbitrandomuser]

You don't need to know the typical pressure , but you definitely get the idea the pressure built inside a steam engine is much higher than atm.

The steam pressure is not about the numbers so much but a kind of hyperbole , "you know that thing which hauls tonnes of steel purely on pressure made in a steam boiler , yeah the pressure on Venus is 4 times that pressure "

I found it an interesting fact.

[delta_p_delta_x]

> a kind of hyperbole

I didn’t think of it that way initially, but this makes sense, thanks.

[8note]

Why reference submarines? What submarines can reach is irrelevant as a comparison when you know a number

Otherwise, it's your reference to submarines that contextualizes the number, same as the insides of a steam engine does for others

[delta_p_delta_x]

> it's your reference to submarines that contextualizes the number

I realised that after the fact. What I meant to say is that standard units should be used, and individuals should be left to contextualise said units of their own accord, instead of it being done for them.

[dontlaugh]

Or both, numbers plus example don’t take much space.