Blog Archives

Symbols and abbreviations, writing keys

In order to properly write the symbols and abbreviations that frequently appear in the written media, a series of guiding keys are indicated below:

Symbols

1. A symbol is the representation of a scientific or technical concept, formed by letters or conventional signs. Most have been created by standardization bodies and are internationally valid: kg, Ag, Fe, cm, %, &, $, ŀ, @, etc. Exceptions to this normalization are some symbols of traditional use that are valid in certain geographical areas, such as O (Oeste), which is used in Spanish speech, as opposed to W (West), which is the one that prevails in the international system.
2. They are not followed by an abbreviation point: instead of 3 kg. , the appropriate is 3 kg, without period. On the other hand, if after the symbol corresponds to the point of end of sentence, this should not be omitted.
3. They do not have a plural, so it is appropriate to write 3 kg, instead of 3 kgs.
4. When writing a figure followed by a symbol, it is appropriate to leave an intermediate space: 3 kg, not 3kg.
5. They have a standardized spelling in terms of uppercase or lowercase letters,which must be preserved. For example, cardinal points (S, from south; SE, from southeast) are capitalized, as are the initials of chemical elements (O, for oxygen; Br, for bromine; Cl, ​​for chlorine). The upper and lower case of the units of measure (such as kg for the kilogram, ha for the hectare, kW for the kilowatt) must be preserved in all contexts, even in texts written entirely in capital letters, since 1 mA (one thousandth of an ampere) is not the same as 1 MA (one million amperes).

Abbreviations

1. A word can have more than one abbreviation: for page, for example, p. and p.
2. They have an abbreviated dot(a. C., pl., admón.) or, more rarely, a bar (c/ Bailén). In abbreviations with more than one element, a space is left after the abbreviation period (US is written and not US) . If the abbreviation has a flown part, the appropriate thing is to write a period before it without leaving a space (n.º, no nº. nor nº).
3. When they have more than one letter, they generally form the pluralby adding an s: p. > pgs. ; if they consist of a single letter, this is usually doubled: p. > pg.