Physics and Astronomy
Writing - Part II
Physics 695
2011
Some material courtesy of
Dr. William Wing, Phys. Dept., U. of Arizona
Dr. Celia Elliott, Physics Dept., U. of Illinois
Chem. Eng. Dept., Texas Tech.
Style Manuals
• AIP style manual (4th edition)
– http://www.aip.org/pubservs/style/4thed/toc.html
• IEEE Style Manual
– http://standards.ieee.org/guides/style/2007_
Style_Manual.pdf
• SFSU Thesis Guidelines
– http://www.sfsu.edu/~gradstdy/forms/thesisguideline.pdf
(Can use AIP or IEEE style with special intro
pages)
Capitalization
Notation k (kilo), as in kV, kW, kA, kg, keV, is always written
in lower case.
Elements not capitalized when written as words (oxygen,
lead, vanadium)
Abbreviations for chemical elements are capitalized (O, Pb, V,
Cf, Am, Cm).
Same rules for units, e.g., curie (Ci), watt (W), volt (V), joule
(J), tesla (T).
Proper noun used as an adjective is capitalized, e.g.,
Poisson’s equation, Fourier transformation, Monte Carlo
method.
However, if the proper noun is used to name an entirely new
class of things, the resulting new things are treated as
common nouns and are not capitalized. Thus, we have Fermi
energy level and Fermi-Dirac statistics, but fermions and
fermium.
Capitalization in Astronomy
• Capitalize
– Planet names; Moon names
– Star names
– Constellation names
– Galaxy names
Acronyms and Abbreviations
Common nouns not capitalized when written as words; only
acronyms capitalized, e.g., very large scale integration (VLSI),
ballistic core radius (BCR), superconducting quantum
interference device (SQUID).
Proper nouns are capitalized, e.g., National Science Foundation
(NSF).
Some common acronyms not capitalized, e.g., alternating current
(ac), direct current (dc), electromotive force (emf), radio
frequency (rf).
Acronyms and abbreviations must be defined at their first usage.
Apostrophe not used to make acronym or abbreviation plural—just
add lower-case s, e.g., AFMs (atomic force microscopes), Eqs.
(equations).
Do not begin sentence with an acronym, abbreviation, numeral, or
symbol. Wrong: “Fig. 1 shows …” “TEM was used …” “α-particle
transport occurs” “50 samples were prepared …”
Right: “Figure 1 shows ” “Tunneling electron microscopy was
used …” “Alpha-particle transport occurs …” “Fifty samples were
prepared …”
Nuclides and Their States
Mass number (anterior superscript) 235U
State of ionization (posterior superscript) Ca2+
Excited state (posterior superscript) 110Agm, 14N*
Number of atoms in a molecule (posterior subscript) 14N2
Numbers and Numerals
• Write
cardinal numbers zero through nine and ordinal
numbers first through ninth in words.
• Use numerals for cardinal numbers 10 and greater and
ordinal numbers 10th and greater.
• Always write quantities as numerals that have been
measured or calculated (rather than counted).
10 liters 1.75 inches
6 kg 2.4 ms
• Fractional numbers written as decimals must have a zero
preceding the decimal point, e.g., 0.17 μg.
Numbers that begin a sentence are always written as words;
thus, a sentence that begins with a quantity that was
measured or calculated must be recast.
For clarity, adjacent numbers should be written in a
combination of numerals and words:
fifteen 10-mg doses
twelve 20-percent doped samples
15 one-dose oral vaccines
6 six-hour runs
Qualifiers (“about,” “approximately,” “of order of”) should not
be used with exact numbers; e.g., not “Approximately 17 of
the samples were contaminated with iron filings.”
SI Derived Units
Frequency
hertz: Hz = 1/s
Force
newton: N = m kg/s2
Pressure, stress
pascal: Pa = N/m2 = kg/m s2
Energy, work, quantity of heat
joule: J = N m = m2 kg/s2
Power, radiant flux
watt: W = J/s = m2 kg/s3
Quantity of electricity, electric charge
coulomb: C = s A
Electric potential
volt: V = W/A = m2 kg/s3 A
Capacitance
farad: F = C/V = s4 A2/m2 kg
Electric resistance
ohm:  = V/A = m2 kg/s3 A2
Conductance
siemens: S = A/V = s3 A2/m2 kg
Magnetic flux
weber: Wb = V s = m2 kg/s2 A
Magnetic flux density, magnetic
induction
tesla: T = Wb/m2 = kg/s2 A
Inductance
henry: H = Wb/A = m2 kg/s2 A2
Luminous flux
lumen: lm = cd sr
Illuminance
lux: lx = lm/m2 = cd sr/m2
Activity (ionizing radiation)
becquerel: Bq = 1/s
Absorbed dose
gray: Gy = J/kg = m2/s2
Dynamic viscosity
pascal second: Pa s = kg/m s
Moment of force (torque)
newton meter: N m = m2 kg/s2
Surface tension
newton per meter: N/m = kg/s2
Heat flux density, irradiance
watt per square meter: W/m2 = kg/s3
Heat capacity, entropy
joule per kelvin: J/K = m2 kg/s2 K
Specific heat capacity, specific entropy
joule per kilogram kelvin: J/kg K = m2/s2 K
Specific energy
joule per kilogram: J/kg = m2/s2
Thermal conductivity
watt per meter kelvin: W/m K = m kg/s3 K
Energy density
joule per cubic meter: J/m3 = kg/m s2
Electric field strength
volt per meter: V/m = m kg/s3 A
Electric charge density
coulomb per cubic meter: C/m3 = s A/m3
Electric displacement, electric flux density
coulomb per square meter: C/m2 = s A/m2
Permittivity
farad per meter: F/m = s4 A2/m3 kg
Permeability
henry per meter: H/m = m kg/s2 A2
Molar energy
joule per mole: J/mol = m2 kg/s2 mol
Molar entropy, molar heat capacity
joule per mole kelvin: J/mol K = m2 kg/s2 K
mol
Exposure (ionizing radiations)
coulomb per kilogram: C/kg = s A/kg
Absorbed dose rate
gray per second: Gy/s = m2/s3
Only metric prefixes for 10+6 or more have upper-case
abbreviation (e.g., M = 10+6, G = 10+9, etc.). In particular, note that
the prefix m indicates 10-3 and M indicates 10+6.
The abbreviation for "kilohertz" is "kHz": only the "H" is upper case.
Note that the proper abbreviation for "second" is "s", not "sec".
The same abbreviation is used for the singular and plural form of a
unit.
A period is not placed after an abbreviated unit, unless it is at the
end of the sentence.
Spaces with units:
There should always be one blank space between a number and a
unit: "5 kHz", not "5kHz"
There is no space between the metric prefix and the base unit.
Some Problem Expressions
*The signal generator had a 15 kHz frequency.
Units of measurement are nouns; cannot use to modify another noun.
Proper phrasing: The signal generator had a frequency of 15 kHz.
*6 cm long
The proper phrasing could be:
6 cm in length
the length is 6 cm
having a length of 6 cm
Choose metric prefix that will make the numerical value between
0.1 and 1000. However, values of a parameter in a table should
have the same metric prefix.
Do not use metric prefixes when using scientific notation: e.g.,
"4 x 105 m/s", not "4 x 102 km/s".
Never use a double metric prefix.
Proper abbreviations for "alternating current, direct current, and rootmean-square" are lower case "ac, dc, rms". However, if the term appears
in a title or as first letter in a sentence, use upper case: "AC, DC, RMS".
Less water feed will be vaporized due to heat losses and this
affects steam economy
While trying to read the mass flow rate of air to the engine, the
rubber hose from the venturi to the manometer melted shut.
After obtaining results for the infrared spectrometer and
comparing it to the predicted calculations, we concluded there
was a problem.
The way to improve your grades is to take good class notes,
to study effectively, and preparing carefully for exams.
The type of failure can be determined by a tensile test. For
example, whether the failure was due to a ductile or brittle
fracture.
The % difference for the two methods of obtaining the heat
transfer coefficient was 52% and the measured values were
10 and 20% lower than the theory predicted respectively.
And we see that the experimental result agrees well with
theory.
But this is not the final solution.
Ways to use equations with text.
Refer to the equation number in a sentence; the equation is a
separate sentence. For example:
The voltage, V, and current, I, in a resistor are related by Eq. 3.
V=IR
(3)
Often more elegant to include equation in sentence:
The power, P, dissipated in a device is given by
P=IV
(4)
where I is the current in the device and V is the voltage
across the device. For the special case of a resistor,
the relation between voltage and current, Eq. 3, can
be used to express the power as a function of only voltage:
P = V2/R.
(5)
Notice the period at the end of Eq. 5, since it is the end of a
sentence.
Note how equations are always punctuated, with a full stop or a
comma as appropriate.
The equation should read as part of the text – although displayed. It
would be very rare for there to be any other form of punctuation. Here
is an example of an equation that can be punctuated with a full stop:
a  b.
Another equation follows, which is punctuated with a comma:
J
N

r j,
j 1
because there is text following it, just as if it were part of a sentence,
which it is.
Vectors, Tensors, Matrices
• Vectors
– Boldface Italic: Fields
E and

 B
– Arrows: Fields E and B
• Tensors
– sans-serif bold italic, T
• Matrices
– boldface italic, A =
Statement of Experimental Results
Our value was
kB=1.379±0.012 x 10-23 J/K
at a 95% confidence level.
• Note format:
– Uncertainty quoted to two significant figures
(never more; sometimes only one)
– Result in proper scientific notation; uncertainty maintains
same decimal place
Software for Physicists & Astronomers
• Scientific Word Processing
– MS Word + Equation Editor; Scientific Word;
LaTex/MikTeX; LyX
• Slide Presentation
– MS Powerpoint+Equation Editor
– TeX or LyX with Beamer document class
• Poster Presentation
– Large Powerpoint print or TeX/Beamer print
• Symbolic Math (Algebra, integrals,...)
– Mathematica
• Numerical Calculations, Plotting, Curve Fit
– MATLAB, IDL
• Astronomy Data Analysis
– IRAF (Image Reduction and Analysis Facility)
• Computer Data Acquisition
– LabView; MATLAB + Inst. Control & Data Acq.
• Programming
– MATLAB, IDL, C
• Electronic Schematics (& Simulation)
– PSPICE (Simulation Prog. for Integrated Cir. Elx)
(Free version of PSPICE 9 available on web)
• Mechanical Drawing (CAD)
– AutoCAD, TurboCAD
(Free version of TurboCAD LE available on web)
Resume