The attitude of the CIPM (Comit� International des Poids et Mesures) to non-SI units is more tolerant than it used to be, and the attitude of the RSC is excessively rigid. It is recognised that although the angstrom is a non-SI unit, it will continue to be used because it is approximately the length of a chemical bond, and so is a very convenient unit for describing molecular dimensions. Moreover its relationship to the nearest SI unit, the nm, is a very clean and simple factor of 10. It is not at all clear that the use of the angstrom by professional chemists and crystallographers will decline, whatever might be taught in schools.
My view is that while JMol should encourage the use of SI by allowing for the use of nm and pm, it is nevertheless rational in view of the dominance of the angstrom in chemistry and crystallography to make that the default unit. Indeed I believe that making the nm the default unit would significantly discourage people from using JMol. At 10:24 on 13 August, Warwick Bailey wrote: > My vote is for nanometres as the default. I recently prepared some Java > Applets for the Education Division of the Royal Society of Chemistry in the > UK, and they would not accept anything that did not implement SI units - so > nm, not Angstroms. > > I support Miguels view, given that the primary focus for JMol is in > educational environments, where year on year students are better schooled > in the application of SI units, rather then Angstoms, - the proportion of > "Angstom" based users will decline year on year too. > > Finally, as scientists, we should be encouraging the adoption of SI units > as a rational, international agreed framework, rather than Angstroms, where > the justification is more historical, cultural and legacy. -- Anthony Stone http://www-stone.ch.cam.ac.uk/ University Chemical Laboratory, Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Lensfield Road, Phone: +44 1223 336375 Cambridge CB2 1EW Fax: +44 1223 336362 ------------------------------------------------------- SF.Net email is sponsored by Shop4tech.com-Lowest price on Blank Media 100pk Sonic DVD-R 4x for only $29 -100pk Sonic DVD+R for only $33 Save 50% off Retail on Ink & Toner - Free Shipping and Free Gift. http://www.shop4tech.com/z/Inkjet_Cartridges/9_108_r285 _______________________________________________ Jmol-users mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/jmol-users
