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Community Projects => The FreeSpace Wiki Project => Topic started by: Shade on July 19, 2008, 11:25:15 am

Title: Speed units, ms-1 or m/s?
Post by: 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?

Title: Re: Speed units, ms-1 or m/s?
Post by: Droid803 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.

Title: Re: Speed units, ms-1 or m/s?
Post by: Mongoose 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

Title: Re: Speed units, ms-1 or m/s?
Post by: TopAce 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?

Title: Re: Speed units, ms-1 or m/s?
Post by: NGTM-1R on July 20, 2008, 06:01:23 am

I vote for m/s as it's more intuitive.

Title: Re: Speed units, ms-1 or m/s?
Post by: Mars on July 21, 2008, 02:22:03 pm

I learned both in physics, and to be honest, I really don't care either way

Title: Re: Speed units, ms-1 or m/s?
Post by: castor 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.

Title: Re: Speed units, ms-1 or m/s?
Post by: Topgun on July 21, 2008, 07:00:33 pm

I didn't know ms^-1 was ever used.
I learned something!

Title: Re: Speed units, ms-1 or m/s?
Post by: Narwhal 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".

Title: Re: Speed units, ms-1 or m/s?
Post by: WMCoolmon 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

Title: Re: Speed units, ms-1 or m/s?
Post by: bruce89 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.