Billions and trillions
As a research scientist and a science editor, I’m used to hypotheses being proved wrong and theories being changed as new evidence comes to light. One thing scientists aren’t used to changing is how we express and write numbers. We know for a fact that 2 + 2 = 4, don’t we? However, when it comes to really large numbers, those over a million, our relationship wavers. Let me introduce the short scale and long scale nomenclature (naming) systems for integer powers of 10.
When is a ton not a tonne?
The units of measure known as ton and tonne can cause confusion for authors and editors alike. Both are units of mass; however, they do not describe the same unit of mass. Let’s take a look at each unit, and learn a bit of their history, as this will help to distinguish between the two.
Maths equations, as easy as pi
Many editors will come across maths equations in their work. Knowing what the parts of an equation are, and whether to italicise the letters within the equation, will simplify the editing process and enable you to use correct terminology when writing comments to the author.
