[SI-LIST] R-T-F-M Re: Language conventions
- From: "Feldman, Richard" <rfeldman@xxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <si-list@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Fri, 4 Apr 2003 16:31:26 -0800
Uh, many responders are confusing a rule for unit SYMBOLS
with one for unit NAMES!
Chris Peake and Jim Knighten got it right here,=20
and cited appropriate references for use in English.
Just remember to Google for something like "unit symbol rules".
"Unit names, when spelled out, are treated like ordinary English nouns.
Thus [they all] start with a lower-case letter, except at the beginning=20
of a sentence or in capitalized material such as a title."
[The same goes for multipliers such as milli and mega.]
Unit symbols begin with a capital letter if the associated unit
name is derived from a persons name. s for second, S for siemens,
pA for pascal. Exception: L for liter (in the USA).
There are case conventions in _algebraic_ symbols used to represent
AC and DC variables. e.g. i and I for current, measured in amperes;
v and V (and formerly e and E) for voltage, coincidently measured=20
in volts. We have rude metaphors for people who can't tell
units of measurement from terms in formulas.
Respectfully submitted,
Rich Feldman
p.s. to those who laugh at "mebibyte", isn't this like the=20
early days of nanosecond replacing millimicrosecond,
or megahertz replacing megacycles?
> | Date: Fri, 04 Apr 2003 13:06:27 -0800
> | To: si-list@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> | From: Doug Brooks <doug@xxxxxxxxxx>
> | Subject: [SI-LIST] Language conventions
> | X-ecartis-version: Ecartis v1.0.0
> |=20
> |=20
> | Hi all,
> |=20
> | I need some help in settling a misunderstanding among some people. =
It=20
> | involves when to capitalize and not capitalize Volt, Amp, and Watt, =
etc.
> |=20
> | In the following uses, is it proper to capitalize the letters as=20
> | shown: The voltage is one Volt, which we can also write as 1 V. =
The=20
> | current is 10 Amps, but other places it is only 5 mA. The =
definition of one=20
> | Amp is the flow of.......... The power generated is 5 Watts. But I =
only=20
> | have a 2-Watt power supply.
> |=20
> | When do we capitalize and when don't we?
> |=20
> | Doug Brooks
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