9 ms·

> planted a small amount (3 gm) The abbreviation for gram is simply "g". I was a bit confused but at least the link cleared things up.

vocram 2y ago
g is the correct SI unit symbol, not only an abbreviation
- SenorKimchi 2y ago
  Thanks. I am usually not super pedantic but I've noticed some people using "mt" for meters recently. I immediately fall into confusion when the wrong symbols are used. Then go down the rabbit hole of trying to figure out if it is a cultural or regional thing.
  - delta_p_delta_x 2y ago
    People have used all sorts of abbreviations for the SI prefixes and SI units for as long as I can remember. I want to ask—are people not taught this in school? I had multiple introductions and revisions of the SI units and SI prefixes in secondary school, pre-university, and university, and every time, a wrong prefix or a wrong symbol was penalised by half a mark per question. I had classmates who mixed them up regularly and lost something like seven marks each time. They learnt very quickly not to, as those seven marks could make one or two grades' difference. As someone who champions sole use of the SI units, this annoys me to no end. I've seen things like 'kgs', 'gm', 'gms', 'mtr', 'mt', 'K' instead of 'k' (note capitals) for 'kilo-', mixing 'm' and 'M' (which are supposed to mean 'milli-' and 'mega-' respectively), usage of 'u' instead of 'μ' for 'micro-' (the one exception I will concede is 'mc' in the medical field, because people apparently confused 'μ' and 'm' which results in a 1000× over/underdose), and don't bother with the degree symbol (Alt+numpad 0176 on Windows, Option-Shift-8 on macOS) for °C, or use °K for kelvins (there is no degree, as it is an absolute scale and not relative to anything else, unlike the Celsius/centigrade and Fahrenheit scales), and so many other typographical errors.
    - nayuki 2y ago
      https://www.nayuki.io/page/common-mistakes-when-using-the-metric-system https://www.nayuki.io/page/common-mistakes-when-using-the-me...
      - delta_p_delta_x 2y ago
        I love this, thanks so much for writing it! I'm writing a blog post on metrication and this will be a super-useful resource for the sort of pedantry I intend to engage in.
        hilbert42 2y ago
        Then see my point about the UK/metric/Imperial. ;-) Incidentally, in that link there's a very common example of bad usage namely the volt/voltage. 120V is shown as bad usage and 120 V good. One sees the former usage on machines, appliances, in printed material etc. so often that it's almost a de facto standard. I'm inconsistent in my use too, one time I'll include the space at other times not.
    - School-Cotton 2y ago
      Honorable mention for "cc", which stands for "cubic centimeter" which is exactly equal to 1 ml. I can't find any logic to explain why cc is used in some contexts and ml in others.
      - delta_p_delta_x 2y ago
        And the SI for that is... cm³.
        hilbert42 2y ago
        The problem is old habits die hard and to be (or appear) to be consistent then an official designation can be unwieldy, as here. I simply cannot remember when I last saw cm³ but cc and ml are everywhere including on commercial chemical reagent bottles etc. The same nomenclature problem is all over chemistry too, the preferred IUPAC name for say isopropyl alcohol is propan-2-ol, and the preferred name for acetone is propan-2-one (systematic 2-Propanone). I can't say I've ever heard anyone ask me to pass them the bottle of propan-2-one, it's just not done (not in my world anyway). If there's a choice between an awkward or simpler term then the simpler one wins out every time.
Rinzler89 2y ago
Americans will do anything to avoid using the SI metric system :)
- hiatus 2y ago
  NDTV is an Indian news site...

vocram 2y ago

g is the correct SI unit symbol, not only an abbreviation

SenorKimchi 2y ago
Thanks. I am usually not super pedantic but I've noticed some people using "mt" for meters recently. I immediately fall into confusion when the wrong symbols are used. Then go down the rabbit hole of trying to figure out if it is a cultural or regional thing.
- delta_p_delta_x 2y ago
  People have used all sorts of abbreviations for the SI prefixes and SI units for as long as I can remember. I want to ask—are people not taught this in school? I had multiple introductions and revisions of the SI units and SI prefixes in secondary school, pre-university, and university, and every time, a wrong prefix or a wrong symbol was penalised by half a mark per question. I had classmates who mixed them up regularly and lost something like seven marks each time. They learnt very quickly not to, as those seven marks could make one or two grades' difference. As someone who champions sole use of the SI units, this annoys me to no end. I've seen things like 'kgs', 'gm', 'gms', 'mtr', 'mt', 'K' instead of 'k' (note capitals) for 'kilo-', mixing 'm' and 'M' (which are supposed to mean 'milli-' and 'mega-' respectively), usage of 'u' instead of 'μ' for 'micro-' (the one exception I will concede is 'mc' in the medical field, because people apparently confused 'μ' and 'm' which results in a 1000× over/underdose), and don't bother with the degree symbol (Alt+numpad 0176 on Windows, Option-Shift-8 on macOS) for °C, or use °K for kelvins (there is no degree, as it is an absolute scale and not relative to anything else, unlike the Celsius/centigrade and Fahrenheit scales), and so many other typographical errors.
  - nayuki 2y ago
    https://www.nayuki.io/page/common-mistakes-when-using-the-metric-system https://www.nayuki.io/page/common-mistakes-when-using-the-me...
    - delta_p_delta_x 2y ago
      I love this, thanks so much for writing it! I'm writing a blog post on metrication and this will be a super-useful resource for the sort of pedantry I intend to engage in.
      - hilbert42 2y ago
        Then see my point about the UK/metric/Imperial. ;-) Incidentally, in that link there's a very common example of bad usage namely the volt/voltage. 120V is shown as bad usage and 120 V good. One sees the former usage on machines, appliances, in printed material etc. so often that it's almost a de facto standard. I'm inconsistent in my use too, one time I'll include the space at other times not.
  - School-Cotton 2y ago
    Honorable mention for "cc", which stands for "cubic centimeter" which is exactly equal to 1 ml. I can't find any logic to explain why cc is used in some contexts and ml in others.
    - delta_p_delta_x 2y ago
      And the SI for that is... cm³.
      - hilbert42 2y ago
        The problem is old habits die hard and to be (or appear) to be consistent then an official designation can be unwieldy, as here. I simply cannot remember when I last saw cm³ but cc and ml are everywhere including on commercial chemical reagent bottles etc. The same nomenclature problem is all over chemistry too, the preferred IUPAC name for say isopropyl alcohol is propan-2-ol, and the preferred name for acetone is propan-2-one (systematic 2-Propanone). I can't say I've ever heard anyone ask me to pass them the bottle of propan-2-one, it's just not done (not in my world anyway). If there's a choice between an awkward or simpler term then the simpler one wins out every time.

Rinzler89 2y ago

Americans will do anything to avoid using the SI metric system :)

hiatus 2y ago
NDTV is an Indian news site...