{"id":1804,"date":"2015-03-13T22:59:29","date_gmt":"2015-03-13T22:59:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/courses.candelalearning.com\/technicalwriting1xmaster\/?post_type=chapter&p=1804"},"modified":"2023-03-28T22:54:42","modified_gmt":"2023-03-28T22:54:42","slug":"expressing-temperatures-and-numbers","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/suny-jeffersoncc-technicalwriting\/chapter\/expressing-temperatures-and-numbers\/","title":{"raw":"Expressing Temperatures and Numbers","rendered":"Expressing Temperatures and Numbers"},"content":{"raw":"Style manuals, professional societies, and journals specific to your field publish thorough guidelines about how to handle small matters of mechanics. For instance, Suggestions to Authors of the Reports of the United States Geological Survey <\/em><\/a>addresses such issues as whether to use the chemical name or symbol in writing; the American Meteorological Society\u2019s Authors\u2019 Guide<\/em><\/a>\u00a0dictates how one should express time, time zone, day, month, and year in writing. Chase down such sources within your field for specifics on matters of mechanics.\r\n\r\nTwo especially noteworthy issues of mechanics that arise regularly in technical writing are how to handle temperature measurements and numbers. Some guidelines on these matters follow.\r\n

Referring to Temperature Measurements<\/h4>\r\nDegree measures of temperature are normally expressed with the \u00b0 symbol rather than by the written word, with a space after the number but not between the symbol and the temperature scale:\r\n
The sample was heated to 80 \u00b0C.<\/blockquote>\r\nUnlike the abbreviations for Fahrenheit and Celsius, the abbreviation for Kelvin (which refers to an absolute scale of temperature) is not preceded by the degree symbol (i.e., 12 K is correct).\r\n

Writing about Numbers<\/h4>\r\nThe rules for expressing numbers in technical writing are relatively simple and straightforward:\r\n\r\nAll important measured quantities\u2014particularly those involving decimal points, dimensions, degrees, distances, weights, measures, and sums of money\u2014should be expressed in numeral form (e.g., 1.3 seconds, $25,000, 2 amperes).\r\nUnless they appear as part of a string of larger related numbers, counted numbers of ten or below should be written out.\r\nIf possible, a sentence should not begin with a number, but if it does the number should be written out.\r\nTreat similar numbers in grammatically connected groups alike.\r\n\r\nFollowing these rules, here are some examples of properly expressed numbers:\r\n
The depth to the water at the time of testing was 16.16 feet.\r\n\r\nFor this treatment, the steel was heated 18 different times.\r\n\r\nTwo dramatic changes followed: four samples exploded and thirteen lab technicians resigned.<\/blockquote>\r\n
\r\n

Self-Study<\/h3>\r\nCheck out these handy resources related to expressing numbers and numerals in text:\r\n
Technical writing tips for using numbers from a company president offering online technical writing courses<\/a><\/blockquote>\r\n<\/div>","rendered":"

Style manuals, professional societies, and journals specific to your field publish thorough guidelines about how to handle small matters of mechanics. For instance, Suggestions to Authors of the Reports of the United States Geological Survey <\/em><\/a>addresses such issues as whether to use the chemical name or symbol in writing; the American Meteorological Society\u2019s Authors\u2019 Guide<\/em><\/a>\u00a0dictates how one should express time, time zone, day, month, and year in writing. Chase down such sources within your field for specifics on matters of mechanics.<\/p>\n

Two especially noteworthy issues of mechanics that arise regularly in technical writing are how to handle temperature measurements and numbers. Some guidelines on these matters follow.<\/p>\n

Referring to Temperature Measurements<\/h4>\n

Degree measures of temperature are normally expressed with the \u00b0 symbol rather than by the written word, with a space after the number but not between the symbol and the temperature scale:<\/p>\n

The sample was heated to 80 \u00b0C.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Unlike the abbreviations for Fahrenheit and Celsius, the abbreviation for Kelvin (which refers to an absolute scale of temperature) is not preceded by the degree symbol (i.e., 12 K is correct).<\/p>\n

Writing about Numbers<\/h4>\n

The rules for expressing numbers in technical writing are relatively simple and straightforward:<\/p>\n

All important measured quantities\u2014particularly those involving decimal points, dimensions, degrees, distances, weights, measures, and sums of money\u2014should be expressed in numeral form (e.g., 1.3 seconds, $25,000, 2 amperes).
\nUnless they appear as part of a string of larger related numbers, counted numbers of ten or below should be written out.
\nIf possible, a sentence should not begin with a number, but if it does the number should be written out.
\nTreat similar numbers in grammatically connected groups alike.<\/p>\n

Following these rules, here are some examples of properly expressed numbers:<\/p>\n

The depth to the water at the time of testing was 16.16 feet.<\/p>\n

For this treatment, the steel was heated 18 different times.<\/p>\n

Two dramatic changes followed: four samples exploded and thirteen lab technicians resigned.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\n

Self-Study<\/h3>\n

Check out these handy resources related to expressing numbers and numerals in text:<\/p>\n

Technical writing tips for using numbers from a company president offering online technical writing courses<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t

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Candela Citations<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t
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