Writing with SI (Metric) Units

SP 811 provides an editorial checklist for reviewing manuscripts' conformity with the SI and
the basic principles of physical quantities and units.
Prefixes
Some of the metric units listed above include prefies such as kilo! centi! and milli. Prefies!
added to a unit name! create larger or smaller units by factors that are powers of 1". #or
eample! add the prefi kilo! which means a thousand! to the unit gram to indicate 1"""
grams$ thus 1""" grams become 1 kilogram.
Spelling
%ll units and prefies should be spelled as shown in this guide.
Conversions
&onversions should follow a rule of reason' do not use more significant digits than (ustified
by the precision of the original data. #or eample! )* inches should be converted to +1
centimeters! not +1.,, centimeters -)* inches ../, centimeters per inch 0 +1.,,
centimeters1! and ,".1 inches converts to 1"1.+ centimeters! not 1"1.8/,.
Capitals
2nits' 3he names of all units start with a lower case letter ecept! of course! at the
beginning of the sentence. 3here is one eception' in 4degree &elsius4 -symbol 5&1
the unit 4degree4 is lower case but the modifier 4&elsius4 is capitali6ed. 3hus! body
temperature is written as )7 degrees &elsius.
Symbols' 2nit symbols are written in lower case letters ecept for liter and those units
derived from the name of a person -m for meter! but 8 for watt! Pa for pascal! etc.1.
Prefies' Symbols of prefies that mean a million or more are capitali6ed and those
less than a million are lower case -9 for mega -millions1! m for milli -thousandths11.
Plurals
2nits' :ames of units are made plural only when the numerical value that precedes
them is more than one. #or eample! "../ liter or 1;, liter! but ./" milliliters. <ero
degrees &elsius is an eception to this rule.
Symbols' Symbols for units are never plurali6ed -./" mm 0 ./" millimeters1.
Pronunciation
3he pronunciation of common metric units is well known! ecept for pascal! which rhymes
with rascal! and hectare! which rhymes with bare. 3he first syllable of every prefi is
accented! not the second syllable. =ample' >I??@oh@meter! not kil@?A9@meter.
Incorrect Terms
3he prefi 4kilo4 stands for one thousand of the named unit. It is not a stand@alone term in the
metric system. 3he most common misuse of this is the use of 4kilo4 for a 4kilogram4 of
something. 3he word 4micron4 is an obsolete term for the quantity 4micrometer.4 %lso
4degree centigrade4 is no longer the correct unit term for temperature in the metric system$ it
has been replaced by degree &elsius.
Spacing
% space is used between the number and the symbol to which it refers. #or eample' 7 m!
)1., kg! )7 5&.
8hen a metric value is used as a one@thought modifier before a noun! hyphenating the
quantity is not necessary. Bowever! if a hyphen is used! write out the name of the metric
quantity with the hyphen between the numeral and the quantity. #or eample'
a .@liter bottle! :A3 a .@? bottle$
a 1""@meter relay! :A3 a 1""@m relay$
)/@millimeter film! :A3 )/@mm film
Spaces are not used between prefies and unit names nor between prefi symbols and unit
symbols. =amples' milligram! mg$ kilometer! km.
Period
CA :A3 use a period with metric unit names and symbols ecept at the end of a sentence.
ecimal Point
3he dot or period is used as the decimal point within numbers. In numbers less than one! 6ero
should be written before the decimal point. =amples' 7.")8 g$ ".")8 g.
:ote' 3his information is published as :IS3 ?& 11)7! Metric Style Guide for the News
Media. 3o request a hard copy! please contact the 9etric Program.
Time
3he SI unit of time -actually time interval1 is the second -s1 and should be used in all
technical calculations. 8hen time relates to calendar cycles! the minute -min1! hour -h1! and
day -d1 might be necessary. #or eample! the kilometer per hour -km;h1 is the usual unit for
epressing vehicular speeds.
#or 9ore Cetail'
Cetailed metric information and precise conversions are available in :IS3 SP 811 and SP
1")8 PC#. SP 811 also provides an editorial checklist for reviewing manuscripts conformity
with SI and the basic principles of physical quantities and units. It is available by calling the
:IS3 9etric Program at -)"11 +7/@)*+" or email.
International Paper Si!es
3he International System of 2nits -SI1 is about measuring the weight or dimensions of
ob(ects! not changing their si6es. 3he 2.S. paper industry uses several customary paper
formats that all have metric dimensions. %ny ob(ect weighed or measured using the SI has a
metric si6e -e.g.! a typical page of office paper is .1/ mm by .8" mm1! (ust as the same
ob(ect measured using customary units has a si6e -8./ in by 11 in1. 8hile the standardi6ation
of si6es provides some benefits by simplifying things! the process of standardi6ation is
independent of the system of measurement.
Cate created' Danuary 1)! ."1" E ?ast updated' %pril 11! ."1.
3he :ational Institute of Standards and 3echnology -:IS31 is an agency of the 2.S.
Cepartment of &ommerce.
http://www.nist.gov/pml/wmd/metric/writing-metric.cfm
Writing unit symbols and the values of quantities
Fefore 1+,8! the writing of metric quantities was hapha6ard. In 187+! the &IP9 published
recommendations for writing the symbols for length! area! volume and mass! but it was
outside its domain to publish recommendations for other quantities. Feginning in about 1+""!
physicists who had been using the symbol 4G4 for 4micrometre4 -or 4micron41! 4H4 for
4microlitre4! and 4I4 for 4microgram4 started to use the symbols 4Gm4! 4G?4 and 4Gg4! but it
was only in 1+)/! a decade after the revision of the 9etre &onvention that the &IP9 formally
adopted this proposal and recommended that the symbol 4G4 be used universally as a prefi
for 1"
J*
.
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In 1+,8! the ninth &MP9 approved the first formal recommendation for the writing of
symbols in the metric system when the basis of the rules as they are now known was laid
down.
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3hese rules were subsequently etended by International Argani6ation for
Standardi6ation -ISA1 and the International =lectrotechnical &ommission -I=&1 and now
cover unit symbols and names! prefi symbols and names! how quantity symbols should be
written and used and how the values of quantities should be epressed.
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Foth ISA and
the I=& have published rules for the presentation of SI units that are generally compatible
with those published in the SI Frochure.
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%s of %ugust ."1) ISA and I=& were in the
process of merging their standards for quantities and units into a single set of compatible
documents identified as the ISA;I=& 8"""" Standard. 3he rules covering printing of
quantities and units are part of ISA 8""""@1'.""+.
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Unit names
:ames of units follow the grammatical rules associated with common nouns' in =nglish and
in #rench they start with a lowercase letter -e.g.! newton! hert6! pascal1! even when the
symbol for the unit begins with a capital letter. 3his also applies to 4degrees &elsius4! since
4degree4 is the unit.
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In Merman! however! the names of units! as with all Merman nouns!
start with capital letters.
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3he spelling of unit names is a matter for the guardians
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of the
language concerned N the official Fritish and %merican spellings for certain SI units differ N
Fritish =nglish uses the spelling deca-! metre! and litre whereas %merican =nglish uses the
spelling deka-! meter! and liter! respectively.
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?ikewise! the plural forms of units follow the grammar of the language concerned' in
=nglish! the normal rules of =nglish grammar are used! e.g. 4henries4 is the plural of 4henry4.
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Bowever! the units lu! hert6! and siemens have irregular plurals in that they remain
the same in both their singular and plural form.
In =nglish! when unit names are combined to denote multiplication of the units concerned!
they are separated with a hyphen or a space -e.g. newton@metre or newton metre1. 3he plural
is formed by converting the last unit name to the plural form -e.g. ten newton@metres1.
Chinese and "apanese
Chinese expressway distances road sign in eastern Beijing. Although the primary text is in
Chinese, the distances use the internationally recognised numerals and symols.
&hinese uses traditional logograms for writing the unit names! while in Dapanese unit names
are written in the phonetic katakana script$ in both cases symbols are written using the
internationally recognised ?atin and Mreek characters.
!apanese
% set of characters representing various metric units was created in Dapan in the late 1+th
century. &haracters eist for three base units' the metre -1! litre -1 and gram -1. 3hese
were combined with a set of si prefi characters N kilo- -1! hecto- -1! deca- -1! deci-
-1! centi- -1 and milli- -1 N to form an additional 18 single@character units. 3he seven
length units -kilometre to millimetre1! for eample! are ! ! ! ! ! and . 3hese
characters! however! are not in common use today$ instead! units are written out in katakana!
the Dapanese syllabary used for foreign borrowings! such as kiromtoru for
4kilometer4. % few Sino@Dapanese words for these units remain in use in Dapanese! most
significantly heibei 4square meter4! but otherwise borrowed pronunciations are used.
3hese characters are eamples of the rare phenomenon of single@character loan words N a
foreign word represented by a single Dapanese character N and form the plurality of such
words. Similar characters were also coined for other units! such as Fritish units! though these
also have fallen out of use$ see Single character gairaigo' 9etric units and Single character
gairaigo' Ather units for a full list.
Chinese
3he basic units are metre - m1! litre - shng1! gram - k1! and second - mio1! while
others include watt - w1. Prefies include deci- - fn1! centi- - l1! milli- - ho1!
micro- - wi1! and kilo- - !i"n1. 3hese are combined to form disyllabic characters! such
as lm 'centimeter' or !i"nw 'kilowatt'.
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In the 1+th century various compound
characters were also used! similar to Dapanese! either imported or formed on the same
principles! such as for !i"nw -kilowatt1 or for . 3hese are generally not used
today N for eample centimetres is usually written lm N but are occasionally found in
older or technical writing.
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Unit s#m$ols and the values of %uantities
%lthough the writing of unit names is language@specific! the writing of unit symbols and the
values of quantities is consistent across all languages and therefore the SI Frochure has
specific rules in respect of writing them.
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3he guideline produced by the :ational
Institute of Standards and 3echnology -:IS31
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clarifies language@specific areas in respect
of %merican =nglish that were left open by the SI Frochure! but is otherwise identical to the
SI Frochure.
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General rules
Meneral rules
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for writing SI units and quantities apply to tet that is either handwritten or
produced using an automated process'
"he value of a #uantity is written as a numer followed y a space $representing a
multiplication sign% and a unit symol& e.g., '.'( )g, *.+,(-
'
m
'
, '' .. "his rule
explicitly includes the percent sign $/%
0'(1:(+2
and the symol for degrees of
temperature $3C%.
0'(1: (++
4xceptions are the symols for plane angular degrees,
minutes, and seconds $3, 5, and 6%, which are placed immediately after the numer
with no intervening space.
7ymols are mathematical entities, not areviations, and as such do not have an
appended period/full stop $.%, unless the rules of grammar demand one for another
reason, such as denoting the end of a sentence.
A prefix is part of the unit, and its symol is prepended to the unit symol without a
separator $e.g., ) in )m, 8 in 89a, : in :;<%. Compound prefixes are not allowed.
7ymols for derived units formed y multiplication are joined with a centre dot $=% or a
non-rea)ing space& e.g., >=m or > m.
7ymols for derived units formed y division are joined with a solidus $/%, or given as
a negative exponent. 4.g., the ?metre per second? can e written m/s, m s
@(
, m=s
@(
, or
m/s. Anly one solidus should e used& e.g., )g/$m=s
'
% and )g=m
@(
=s
@'
are acceptale,
ut )g/m/s
'
is amiguous and unacceptale.
Acceleration due to gravity.
>ote the lowercase letters $neither ?metres? nor ?seconds? were named after people%, the
space etween the value and the units, and the superscript ?'? to denote ?s#uared?.
"he first letter of symols for units derived from the name of a person is written in
upper case& otherwise, they are written in lower case. 4.g., the unit of pressure is
named after Blaise 9ascal, so its symol is written ?9a?, ut the symol for mole is
written ?mol?. "hus, ?"? is the symol for tesla, a measure of magnetic field strength,
and ?t? the symol for tonne, a measure of mass. 7ince (B*B, the litre may
exceptionally e written using either an uppercase ?C? or a lowercase ?l?, a decision
prompted y the similarity of the lowercase letter ?l? to the numeral ?(?, especially
with certain typefaces or 4nglish-style handwriting. "he American >D7" recommends
that within the Enited 7tates ?C? e used rather than ?l?.
7ymols of units do not have a plural form& e.g., 'F )g, not 'F )gs.
Eppercase and lowercase prefixes are not interchangeale. 4.g., the #uantities
( mG and ( 8G represent two different #uantities& the former is the typical power
re#uirement of a hearing aid $( milliwatt or -.--( watts%, and the latter the typical
power re#uirement of a suuran train $( megawatt or (------ watts%.
"he (-th resolution of C:98 in '--+ declared that ?the symol for the decimal
mar)er shall e either the point on the line or the comma on the line.? Dn practice, the
decimal point is used in 4nglish-spea)ing countries and most of Asia, and the
comma in most of Catin America and in continental 4uropean languages.
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7paces should e used as a thousands separator $(------% in contrast to commas
or periods $(,---,--- or (.---.---% to reduce confusion resulting from the variation
etween these forms in different countries.
Any line-rea) inside a numer, inside a compound unit, or etween numer and unit
should e avoided. Ghere this is not possile, line rea)s should coincide with
thousands separators.
7ince the value of ?illion? and ?trillion? can vary from language to language, the
dimensionless terms ?pp? $parts per illion% and ?ppt? $parts per trillion% should e
avoided. ;owever, no alternative is suggested in the 7D Brochure.
Printing SI symbols
#urther rules
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are specified in respect of production of tet using printing presses! word
processors! typewriters and the like.
7ymols are written in upright $Homan% type $m for metres, s for seconds%, so as to
differentiate from the italic type used for #uantities $m for mass, s for displacement%.
By consensus of international standards odies, this rule is applied independent of
the font used for surrounding text.
Dn Chinese, !apanese, and .orean language computing $C!.%, some of the
commonly used units, prefixIunit cominations, or unitIexponent cominations have
een allocated predefined single characters ta)ing up a full s#uare. Enicode includes
these in its C!. Compatiility and letter-li)e symols su-ranges for ac)
compatiility, without necessarily recommending future usage. "hese are
summarised in Enicode symols. "he cursive J, a letter-li)e symol, has een used
in a numer of countries in addition to China and !apan as a symol for the litre, ut
this is not currently recommended y any standards ody.
Dn print , the space used as a thousands separator $commonly called a thin space% is
typically narrower than that used etween words.
http://en.wi)ipedia.org/wi)i/DnternationalK7ystemKofKEnits
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