Eight Style Points for Metric Measurements
Certain style points for metric are different from the Imperial measurement system. Though some folks seem to intend to cling to historical styles (e.g. writing metric based on Imperial practices) for decades to come, here I would like to set the record straight and clarify the correct styles, according to international metric standards. 1. Put a space before a metric unit. This includes all metric units. Use 910 m, not 910m. (This is often done incorrectly in news media, but that does not make it acceptable in scientific papers. Use the correct international convention for formal writing.) This convention extends to degrees of temperature. Add a space before degrees Celsius (°C). For example, use 82 °C, not 82°C. Note: For Fahrenheit, most people would omit the space. That is still acceptable if you are writing degrees Fahrenheit. When you write in Celsius, use a space. If you have both Celsius and Fahrenheit in a paper, I suggest that you use the space for both for consistency. 2.