Unit Modifiers
Unit Modifiers
(OP)
When describing units of measure, should there be a space between the value and the modifier?
Is there any standard for this?
300 Hz
or
300Hz
Is there any standard for this?
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RE: Unit Modifiers
xnuke
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RE: Unit Modifiers
And a space before a percent sign? Phooey!!
And the space before the degree symbol for temperature?? When they don't have a space before the degree symbol for angles? Double phooey.
(I'll be in my trailer. I can't work under these conditions.)
Hg
RE: Unit Modifiers
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RE: Unit Modifiers
So don't worry and blame it on Mathcad.
Ciao.
RE: Unit Modifiers
The rules in NIST SP 811 are only for the SI. Therefore, lb and in are not acceptable for use and don't apply. No space between value and unit applies ONLY to plane angle units °, ", and ', which are units outside the SI (but accepted for use with the SI) and thus less preferred.
HgTx,
When I look at NIST SP 811, I don't think the space between value and % looks bad. Here is a test - does it look bad here on Eng-Tips?
100 % of Eng-Tips users prefer the SI.
0% of Eng-Tips users prefer something else.
The hyphen is omitted because it can be confused with the subtraction sign. Thus, it is preferred to minimize hyphen usage when using SI (and calculations in general).
Regards,
Cory
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RE: Unit Modifiers
And yes, the space before the % looks bad on Eng Tips too. And in the ASTM standards. I acknowledge that this is a personal preference (born of years of this being the standard in various publications, dammit).
I'm a fan of keeping the degree symbol attached to the numbers regardless of whether it's an angle or a temperature. It's a superscripted thingy (even though it is not a superscript letter "o") and it belongs with whatever's before it (sez me), and besides a degree sign is a degree sign. What they've done instead is attach it to the symbol after it (C,F) to make a two-character symbol.
Feh.
Anyway I just did some poking around, and style sheets for technical papers are all over the place, even on the issue of whether there's a space before the unit. (I'm with the SI on that one.)
But if you must submit to The Man, at least make those spaces nonbreaking spaces. I hate to see things like this in the ASTM books:
blah blah blah words words 7
% blah more words narrow col-
umns blah blah words words 23
mm blah blah.
Please?
Hg
RE: Unit Modifiers
When in doubt, go the chosen writing style guide. If/when this guide isn't adequate for a specific item, make a decision, and document it so others will know what the writing requirements are.
There are MANY style guides available - just "google" on "writing style guide".
RE: Unit Modifiers
Personally, I hate the spaces and dashes. Justcramitalltogether.
"I think there is a world market for maybe five computers."
Thomas Watson, chairman of IBM, 1943.
Have you read FAQ731-376 to make the best use of Eng-Tips Forums?
RE: Unit Modifiers
Hg