Abstract
PROF. A. V. HILL'S recent letter1 directing attention to the confusion arising out of the inconsistent use of symbols is a timely reminder of the need for greater uniformity. A certain amount of work in this direction has already been done. In 1914, committees of the Physical Society of London, and of the International Electro-Technical Commission reported upon this subject2 and made certain suggestions as regards some of the more important physical symbols. The Smithsonian Physical Tables contains a table of symbols for electrical and magnetic quantities as adopted by the American Institute of Electrical Engineers, and the International Critical Tables gives a list of symbols based upon the recommendation of the International Association of Chemical Societies3. More recently, the S.U.N. Commission of the International Union of Pure and Applied Physics has recommended symbols for a limited number of physical quantities4. General agreement, however, upon anything like a sufficient number of symbols is not yet in sight.
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References
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Science Progress, 26, 126; 1931.
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C., V. Symbols and Nomenclature in Physical Science. Nature 136, 840 (1935). https://doi.org/10.1038/136840a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/136840a0