Wednesday, July 25, 2018

What is counting?


Photo source: Wikimedia Commons, Dbabbitt

What is counting? Here is my definition:
Counting the process of reciting numbers in order
I believe that counting and measurement have a close overlap, except two primary examples. For the first example, imagine, that you are listing numbers with the purpose of reaching 1,000. In this situation, you are counting but you are not measuring anything. The moment that something other than numbers is being counted, I believe you are simultaneously counting and measuring.

The second example, comes when you have a measurement device that skips the step of counting. For example, when you weigh something on a scale, you do not need to count every single unit. Instead, the total amount is displayed by the scale automatically. This is an example of measurement that does not involve counting.

License: CC BY-SA 4.0