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Author Topic: Speed units, ms-1 or m/s?  (Read 40441 times)

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Offline Shade

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Speed units, ms-1 or m/s?
on: July 19, 2008, 11:25:15 am
Some people have been wondering why ms-1 is used and not the more intuitive m/s, and I didn't have a good answer for them. So, anyone remember why ms-1 is used in the first place (which I don't), and which notation would you prefer be used?
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Offline Droid803

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Re: Speed units, ms-1 or m/s?
Reply #1 on: July 19, 2008, 11:52:40 am
Well, ms-1 has a nice little exponent :p
I actually have no idea, but I don't mind either way. Both are understandable.
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Offline Mongoose

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Re: Speed units, ms-1 or m/s?
Reply #2 on: July 19, 2008, 01:21:10 pm
During my career as a physics undergrad, I saw professors using both types of notation.  It seems to come down to personal preference more than anything else.  The exponent notation could be argued to be slightly clearer in a purely linear setting like browser text, since it eliminates any potential ambiguity over whether you're using the forward slash as a division sign or a separator.  Plus, exponents just look cooler. :p
 

Offline TopAce

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Re: Speed units, ms-1 or m/s?
Reply #3 on: July 20, 2008, 05:54:54 am
I didn't know there was such a notation as ms-1. All the teachers that taught me math and physics used the m/s way.

Isn't this used only in English-speaking countries?
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Offline NGTM-1R

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Re: Speed units, ms-1 or m/s?
Reply #4 on: July 20, 2008, 06:01:23 am
I vote for m/s as it's more intuitive.
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Offline Mars

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Re: Speed units, ms-1 or m/s?
Reply #5 on: July 21, 2008, 02:22:03 pm
I learned both in physics, and to be honest, I really don't care either way
 

Offline castor

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Re: Speed units, ms-1 or m/s?
Reply #6 on: July 21, 2008, 06:41:51 pm
Maybe its easier to keep the units in check when calculating using the exponent notation. But m/s would be more intuitive for Wiki use, imo.
 

Offline Topgun

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Re: Speed units, ms-1 or m/s?
Reply #7 on: July 21, 2008, 07:00:33 pm
I didn't know ms^-1 was ever used.
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Offline Narwhal

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Re: Speed units, ms-1 or m/s?
Reply #8 on: August 03, 2008, 09:21:54 am
X^(-1) reads 1/X, so ms^(-1) reads m x 1/s = m/s

The exponent stuff looks so much better and more "pro".
 

Offline WMCoolmon

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Re: Speed units, ms-1 or m/s?
Reply #9 on: August 04, 2008, 06:53:11 pm
I've always considered m/s more common. In general, I'd feel safer with m/s than ms-1 because if one copies the text to something that doesn't understand superscripts, it'll show up as ms-1, which is kind of confusing.

Which I'd use would probably depend upon the context, and what type of calculator I was using that was most relevant. :p
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Offline bruce89

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Re: Speed units, ms-1 or m/s?
Reply #10 on: September 09, 2008, 08:28:55 pm
Quote from: Shade on July 19, 2008, 11:25:15 am
Some people have been wondering why ms-1 is used and not the more intuitive m/s, and I didn't have a good answer for them. So, anyone remember why ms-1 is used in the first place (which I don't), and which notation would you prefer be used?

I was the person who changed this. Just a bit of pedantry I'm afraid.
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