Rob (ewc) wrote: "And I feel the same way about whether we abbreviate grams by 'gms' or 'g'."
There are no abbreviations in SI. That would create a third way of expressing SI units, when two are quite enough (or, in fact, just right) -- the full version, such as gram or grams (the plural form being permitted for the full spelling) and the symbol (NOT abbreviation), such as g. The trouble with an abbreviation, such as gms, is that, according to the rules regarding SI symbols, it can be mistaken for the non-existent unit, gram meter second. That may not usually be a problem for humans, but could be a problem for software used to scan specifications in, for example, contract proposals. Some entities (e.g., the Gulf States Cooperation Council) have very rigorous rules regarding the use of SI in specification documents. Bill Potts, CMS Roseville, CA http://metric1.org [SI Navigator]
