terican

Reference · v3.4

How the math is computed.

§ I · Constants

Constants ratified by the BIPM.

Every conversion uses constants ratified by the Bureau International des Poids et Mesures, defined since the 2019 SI redefinition. Length derives from the speed of light in vacuum (c = 299 792 458 m/s); mass from Planck's constant (h = 6.626 070 15 × 10⁻³⁴ J·s); and so on across the seven base units.

Where a definition has changed historically — the international foot, the survey foot, the troy ounce — terican defaults to the modern internationally-agreed definition and labels alternates explicitly.

§ II · Precision

Computed in arbitrary precision, rounded at display.

Conversions and calculator formulas are evaluated in arbitrary-precision arithmetic, then truncated or rounded only at the final moment of display — typically to six decimal places, or to a domain-appropriate convention (two for currency, three for engineering).

Each tool exposes a Precision control where you can request fewer digits for legibility or more for verification. The displayed digits never carry residual rounding error from intermediate steps.

§ III · Audit

Published in full, audited continuously.

Every formula on terican is published on the page that uses it, accompanied by a plain-language derivation, its constants, and a worked example. Nothing is computed behind a curtain.

Every tool is audited by re-executing its formula against known inputs, checking it for self-consistency, and sweeping it across invariant grids. Discrepancies — even at the sixth decimal — block publication.

  • BLS, BIPM, NIST, and ISO publications for physical constants.
  • Standard reference works for finance (Brealey, Hull) and statistics (CLT-based formulas).
  • National guidance bodies for health (CDC, NHS, NWS) for tools like BMI and wind chill.

§ IV · Caveat

Informational, not professional advice.

terican's calculators are reference tools. They are appropriate for learning, estimation, and cross-checking professional work, but should not substitute for personalised advice from a qualified accountant, doctor, lawyer, or engineer.

Every calculator page links its full formula and the assumptions it makes. If a calculation materially depends on circumstances we don't model, we say so on the page.

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