VA HANDBOOK 0100 Washington, METRIC TRANSITION PLAN (IMPLEMENTAT... Page 8 of 11
c. Use a half or full space in place of a comma to separate groups of three numbers (e.g., 27 659.232
24 not 27, 659.232,24). There is an exception; a space is optional with a four-digit number (e.g., 1 237
or 1237).
d. Always use symbols with numerals instead of full words (e.g., 5 m not 5 meters).
e. Always use a full space between the quantity and the symbol (e.g., 45 g not 45g). There is an
exception when the first character of a symbol is not a letter -- no space is left (e.g., 32*C, not 32* C or
32 *C).
f. Use decimals, not fractions (e.g., 0.25 g, not 1/4 g).
g. A zero is always used before a decimal point if the number is less than one (e.g., 0.45 g, not .45 g).
h. Typeface and punctuation for element symbols are always printed in Roman Type, regardless of the
type used in the surrounding text.
i. Symbols are never pluralized (e.g., 1 g, 45 g, not 45 gs).
j. Never use a period after a symbol except at the end of a sentence.
k. A slash is always used with symbols rather than the word "per" (e.g., km/h, not km per h). When
writing the phrase out, it is written as kilometer per hour, not kilometer/hour.
l. No more than one unit should be used to indicate a quantity (e.g., 8.66 m, not 8 m 66 cm).
m. Alphabetical list of metric term to metric symbol:
ampere
A
meter
m
candela
cd
metric ton
t
centimeter
cm
milligram
mg
coulomb
C
milliliter
mL
cubic
cm
millimeter
mm
centimeter
cubic
minute (plane
dm
angle)
decimeter
cubic meter
m
mole
mol
degree
*C
Newton
N
Celsius
farad
F
ohm
Ω
gram
g
pascal
Pa
hectare
ha
radian
rad
second (plane
henry
H
"
angle)
hertz
Hz
second
s
joule
J
siemens
S
square
Kelvin
K
cm
centimeter
square
kilogram
kg
km
Kilometer
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