James Freysinger in USMA 18085 quoted Jim Elwell as asking: >> At 09:20 PM 2/8/2002 -0500, James R. Frysinger wrote: >> >The presentation is generally very good, once one remembers that a space >> >between numbers and units are not required. >> >> My copy of SI 10-1997 says the space is required. Why do you say it is not?
The metric bible says: "*5.1 General principles* "General principles for the writing of unit symbols and numbers were first proposed by the 9th CGPM (1948, Resolution 7). These were subsequently adopted and elaborated by ISO/TC 12 (ISO 31/0, 1981-07/01, *Quantities and units*)." Throughout the metric bible a space is left between the numeric value and the unit symbol. ISO 31/0-1981 says: "*3.2.1 International symbols for units* "When international symbols for units exist, they, and no other, shall be used. They should be printed in roman (upright) type (irrespective of the type used in the rest of the text), should remain unaltered in the plural, should be written without a final full stop (period) except for normal punctuation, e.g. at the end of a sentence, and be placed after the complete numerical value of the expression for a quantity, leaving a space between the numerical value and the unit symbol." "Quantities Units and Symbols, The Symbols Committee of the Royal Society,, 1971" quotes the metric bible's rules, but does mention the above rule from ISO 31/0. Indeed, the Royal Society leaves only a half space, or none at all, between the numerical value and the unit symbol. Joseph B.Reid 17 Glebe Road West Toronto M5P 1C8 TEL. 416-486-6071
