Questions tagged [measuring-units]
Questions about units of measure
120
questions
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1answer
30 views
Hyphenating measurements in case of a fraction
I am now quite comfortable with the rules of hyphenating measurements (For example, 5-foot-long rod, 7-inch-long handle, etc.) However, what is the rule for hyphenation if the number is a fraction. ...
0
votes
2answers
93 views
Possessive for abbreviation of a regular plural noun
How do you write the possessive for an abbreviation of a regular plural noun, when the plural 's' is not present in the abbreviation?
I want to write "ten kilograms' weight" in a scientific context ...
-2
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2answers
101 views
Is there a word for a sixtieth of a jiffy?
One definition of a jiffy is that it is a sixtieth of a second, in the same way that a second is a sixtieth of a minute and a minute a sixtieth of an hour. Is there a name for the unit of time that is ...
1
vote
3answers
119 views
Term for a “unit-ed” (versus “unitless”) quantity
What is a term for the class of measured quantities that have a unit, as distinct from those that are unitless?
This term describes any quantity with a unit:
5.3 seconds
$0.00
−17.28 metres
4½ ...
0
votes
1answer
144 views
Why the paper size is called a fools-cap? [closed]
Usually the sizes are to be measured in any of the units. But to our amazement the paper size is called as FOOL'S CAP. This is not defining any measurement exactly but it throw a vague idea about the ...
1
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1answer
5k views
What is the official abbreviation of “week”?
I have tried searching in a number of places but could not find a reliable article/documentation that lists the official abbreviation of "week".
There were however a couple of articles that said that ...
0
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3answers
1k views
Should I capitalize the abbreviation for a unit of measurement?
I'm creating a table in which everything in the columns are being treated like titles- "Suggested Serving Size," "Flavor of Yogurt," etc.
So how do I deal with this one- "Profit per 16 oz. Container"...
-2
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1answer
327 views
What does to be in your nth year mean? [closed]
A kid is 4 years and 7 months old.
Is he in his 4th year or 5th year?
Counting from the onset of birth
0 - 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5.....
Between 0 and 1, one is younger than 1 year and I would count 0th ...
0
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1answer
71 views
When verbally expressing metric units do people use decimal places? [closed]
I am writing a script for an audio description, and am including an estimation of a statue that is 1.5 meters tall. For metric users, would this be expressed in speech as:
"one point five meters" or
...
0
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1answer
61 views
Why is it “Heating Degree Day(s)” but all others are degrees like zero degrees as in a thermometer? [closed]
I have read other questions about zero degrees or zero degree but why is it heating degree days and not degrees? It makes sense to say one degree but zero degrees holds true in until you use absolute ...
1
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0answers
24 views
Handling ranges where the unit prefixes the number [duplicate]
If the unit follows the number, then according to the accepted answer of the Including units of a measure in a range , you can skip the unit for the first value, such as "1–5 ℥".
However, that ...
2
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3answers
120 views
Connotation of acreage
Merriam Webster defines acreage as:
area in acres
oxforddictionaries.com defines it as:
An area of land, typically when used for agricultural purposes, but
not necessarily measured in acres.
...
1
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2answers
74 views
When to use yards or miles for distances? What unit to use for areas (hectares, acres, sqyards, sqmiles…)?
I perfectly know how to convert these units, but I don't understand if there's a specific reason for choosing one instead of another.
What troubles me the most about them is the difference between ...
1
vote
2answers
77 views
What do you call the part of a quantity that isn't the unit (e.g. the “5” in “5 inches”)?
I am thinking "value" is close, but I also want to use the word "value" for the whole thing.
A value of 5 inches...
in which case the "value" should be broken into the "___" and the "unit".
An ...
1
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0answers
3k views
Two days “is” or “are”? [duplicate]
I have heard about the usage of "be" in specific situations like 2 days, 5 dollars,...
For example:
Two days ____ enough for us
Should I use "is" or "are"? I see both of them are appropriate.
6
votes
4answers
1k views
Why isn't the yard used as a base unit for measuring heights?
I don't know if this is the right forum for this question, but, do what I would, I could not find a better one.
During my visit to London I stumbled upon something I couldn't quite grasp:
Why, even ...
0
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1answer
448 views
How to properly use the “second” ordinal number with the “second” time unit? [closed]
What I'm trying to say:
"Look carefully at the second second of the video."
This might be grammatically correct but it's weird to use. What are some better ways to say it?
Context:
The sentence is ...
7
votes
3answers
7k views
How to write lengths of time in a short way with numbers
I am writing statistics results and I want to put a list of lengths of time.
In decimal values it will be, for example, 1.90 hours but this is not very human friendly.
Then I think I can use 1 hour ...
0
votes
0answers
21 views
Do I put a hyphen between the number and unit? [duplicate]
For example, in the sentence:
I enforced a 60 minute time limit.
Should it be:
I enforced a 60-minute time limit.
Which one is correct?
0
votes
1answer
3k views
What is the meaning of “one-half meter”?
I have found this phrase that as a non-native English speaker perplexes me:
...returning images with a resolution of up to one-half meter per pixel.
The possible meanings of "one-half" to me are:
...
1
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4answers
174 views
Unit prefix of zeroth power
Unit prefix for 10-1 is deci, for 10-2 centi, for 10-3 milli, for 10-6 micro and so on. Powers greater or equal one also have names: 101 is deca, 102 is hecto, 103 is kilo etc..
We can say, for ...
1
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1answer
2k views
Is “office hours” correct if it refers to a single hour?
My coworker is suggesting a change to “office hour” in this case. Is that more right?
I know “hour” as a unit should be singular when (and only when) there’s exactly one, but as part of the name for ...
12
votes
2answers
3k views
Should you say “0.9 second” rather than “0.9 seconds”?
When looking through the National Physical Laboratory's SI unit conventions, I have found a strange clause in their list:
For unit values more than 1 or less than -1 the plural of the unit is ...
0
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0answers
71 views
Is it correct to say “1 feet 1 inches”? [duplicate]
Is it correct to say "1 feet 1 inches"? This site shows examples of such expressions. They might have been erroneously automatically generated, though.
Notes: I'm not sure who would ever think this ...
3
votes
1answer
4k views
Short forms for pounds and ounces? [closed]
I have been using ' for pounds and " for ounces for quite a while now,but it was pointed out to me today that my pet cat weighs 6 feet 9 inches.(l wrote 6'9" to a vet). Are these acceptable ...
1
vote
2answers
4k views
Six feet/foot five: Does adding “inches” affect the grammatical form of “foot”?
Is it possible to say "six feet five" (inches are left out here)?
Or is "six foot five" the only correct variant? Does incluing "inches" affect the grammatical form of "foot"?
2
votes
2answers
2k views
Use of space before a unit
We use space between the numerical value and unit in SI system. Is the same principle applicable to other units e.g. Year, week etc. I mean is it 1year or 1 year? 25wks or 25 wks? etc.
I found ...
6
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6answers
1k views
What would be the metric equivalent of “inching” (or a workable alternative)? [duplicate]
inching.
moving slowly/small degree of progress.
As in “Elon is inching his way towards Mars”.
“Metering closer to his goal” sounds … totally off. So how do I avoid using arguably antiquated ...
0
votes
1answer
776 views
Correct spelling for the abbreviation “FPS” (frames per second) [duplicate]
Well-known game journalists TotalBiscuit and Jim Sterling use [the number of frames per second] fps instead of 30FPS or 30 FPS, without an intervening space between the units and the following units (...
3
votes
1answer
334 views
when is it appropriate to use double prime for inches in measurements
What is the correct usage?
10 × 10″
10″ × 10″
That is, is the double prime supposed to be on the first number or is it assumed to be the same as the second number when conveying measurements in ...
7
votes
1answer
237 views
How do metric-users casually describe intermediate distances?
I'm writing SciFi in a hypothetical future where we Americans have finally switched to metric (hey, it's my world, I can make believe).
But being myself acculturated in imperial-units America, I'm ...
0
votes
1answer
740 views
Which word I can use as unit to count for fish/shimp and animal?
[Sorry for bad English]
In a list I have:
Item Unit Amount
Choptick Pair 1
Fan Pieces 1
Lobster ??? 1
Tuna ??? 1
Chicken ??? 1
Pig ??? ...
7
votes
2answers
679 views
Can “zero hours contracts” be considered as not grammatical?
Zero hour contract (or zero-hour contract) can be found :
Number of workers on zero-hour contracts in UK rises to 801,000
Zero hour contracts are a hot topic in employment.
Zero hour ...
0
votes
1answer
2k views
Hyphenation with numbers [closed]
I know that a compound adjective preceding a noun would require hyphenation in most circumstances; however, this particular phrasing has me doubting myself and I'd just like some clarification, if ...
1
vote
1answer
483 views
Subject-verb agreement with metric units of measurement [duplicate]
About 500 cm3 of the Herschelite was hydrated at 80% RH.
About 500 cm3 of the Herschelite were hydrated at 80% RH.
Could someone advise me about which of the two sentences have the correct verb ...
2
votes
1answer
43 views
When comparing two physical quantities, should units be specified only after the second?
I am writing an academic report. I am comparing to values in the text of the report: 1.011 Hz and 0.990 Hz.
Is it correct to write:
"1.011 compared to 0.990 Hz"
or
"1.011 Hz compared to 0.990 Hz"
...
0
votes
1answer
8k views
“4 year long” or “4 yearlong”? [closed]
I am wanting to convey this sentence:
This year marks the end of the 4 year long 'Environmental Protection Victoria' project.
I have looked online to no avail, can anyone tell me if '4 year long' ...
0
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1answer
539 views
Units are proper or common nouns?
Are units like newton, metre etc considered as proper or common noun?
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1answer
279 views
What is the English word used to describe something like m/s or m/s/s ? [closed]
In science, some quantities have units. e.g. Mass (kg) , time (s), distance (m).
But what about quantities such as velocity (m/s) and acceleration (m/s/s) whose units are a combination of ...
1
vote
1answer
491 views
about a weight abbreviation
I would like to ask a question about an abbreviation about for weighing silk and goatswool in a commercial manuscript. The abbreviation using like on the photos. Can you please help me what is the ...
0
votes
1answer
1k views
Using a hyphen when describing measures (e.g., a 300-meter asteroid) [duplicate]
Here's some examples. Please tell me which ones are right, and which ones are wrong, and why.
"A 350-meter asteroid impacted the Moon."
"A 350-meters asteroid impacted the Moon."
"A 350 meter ...
5
votes
2answers
14k views
How do we pronounce the plural form of “kg” in a sentence? [closed]
Could you tell me whether we need to say the first or the second of these?
I want three kg of carrots.
I want three kgs of carrots.
Is the first of those two choices the correct way of writing it?
0
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0answers
35 views
Units in a “to” Range [duplicate]
How should units be written in a phrase like 50-100 (fifty to a hundred).
Would it be 50-100cm or 50cm-100cm?
0
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1answer
552 views
Is it possible to “increase brevity”?
The title largely explains my concern.
Does the formulation - "increase brevity" make sense?
Is brevity a measurement that can be increased or decreased? The Oxford English dictionary mentions that ...
16
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6answers
10k views
Is “a half dozen” necessarily 6, or can it be 5-7?
In my answer to a question on the SF & Fantasy stack, I assumed that "half a dozen" is imprecise enough to mean anywhere from 5 to 7. Another user challenged that assumption and stated that since ...
1
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2answers
1k views
spacing between units in a scientific paper [closed]
Which one is the correct way of writing:
The sugar concentration was 20 g/mL or
The sugar concentration was 20 g/ mL
1
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2answers
135 views
Using property name in plural instead of its units
Consider describing an object and referring to some of its properties, that has a unit (eg. weight in kilograms). Is it correct to describe the property not by saying what unit is it in, but using ...
4
votes
3answers
30k views
Is there any difference between “monthly average” and “average per month”? [closed]
I have trouble understanding if I should use "monthly average" or "average per month" when asking someone to calculate monthly average of a variable, e.g. heating expenses. Is there any difference, if ...
2
votes
2answers
790 views
What is the meaning of “40 leagues and 2”?
League is a widely found but rarely used unit of measurement, measuring roughly "one hour's hike" in many definitions. It tends to mean around 3 miles, or 5 km, in English use.
Tolkien often wrote ...
5
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2answers
3k views
Does bit (information) have a plural [closed]
I'm wondering if the word "bit" in its information theory / computer science sense actually has a plural.
If "bit" is used like a unit of measurement, then it should mostly be used in its singular ...
