Re: Measurements: Fraction, Decimals, or Both

Subject: Re: Measurements: Fraction, Decimals, or Both
From: "Peter Neilson" <neilson -at- windstream -dot- net>
To: tech2wr-l <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com>, "wondersofone -at- gmail -dot- com" <wondersofone -at- gmail -dot- com>
Date: Sat, 08 Oct 2016 18:47:16 -0400

On Sat, 08 Oct 2016 18:19:36 -0400, wondersofone -at- gmail -dot- com <wondersofone -at- gmail -dot- com> wrote:

So it may just be more efficient (and accurate) that I simply reflect the measurement given to us by the manufacturer. So now I can focus on the formatting issue.

Yes, because you are getting the information in various formats and precisions, you are constrained to keep those things exactly the same, as much as possible. The customer looking for a 1-7/8 inch item will probably not buy if it is presented as 1.875 inches or (worse) 1.9 inches. The former value is correct but not expected, and probably not trusted. The latter (rounded) is simply incorrect, and taints the entire document.

There is a lot of "engineering get-it-done style" knowledge among the people who use a combination of US and SI measurements in their work. For example, 11 or 12 mm is somewhat close to 7/16 inch for some purposes. 3/4 inch is very close to 19 mm. "Hand me a 19 mm wrench." "Sorry, don't have one. Here's a 3/4. It'll do."

Threads on bolts, however, are totally incompatible between US (coarse or fine) and SI. Worse, some seem as if they are fitting if you get them wrong, until after several turns they jam.

The manufacturer's presentation of physical values is "as expected" and should be retained. The hyphen-and-solidus format (1-7/8) that you expect to use is generally acceptable.
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Follow-Ups:

References:
Measurements: Fraction, Decimals, or Both: From: wondersofone -at- gmail -dot- com
Re: Measurements: Fraction, Decimals, or Both: From: Peter Neilson
Re: Measurements: Fraction, Decimals, or Both: From: wondersofone -at- gmail -dot- com

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