METRIC STYLE GUIDE:
In most cases, familiarity with the following metric units will be sufficient for everyday transactions:

Units of time and electricity are already metric units.

The Celsius temperature scale should be used; familiar points on this scale are:

Prefixes
Some of the metric units listed above include prefixes such as kilo, centi, and milli. Prefixes, added to a unit name, create larger or smaller units by factors that are powers of 10. For example, add the prefix kilo, which means a thousand, to the unit gram to indicate 1000 grams; thus 1000 grams become 1 kilogram. The more common prefixes are shown in Table 1.

Spelling
All units and prefixes should be spelled as shown in this guide.

Conversions
Conversions should follow a rule of reason: do not include figures that imply more accuracy than justified by the original data. For example, 36 inches should be converted to 91 centimeters, not 91.44 centimeters (36 inches x 2.54 centimeters per inch = 91.44 centimeters), and 40.1 inches converts to 101.9 centimeters, not 101.854. Table 2 lists many of the more commonly used conversion factors.

Capitals
Units: The names of all units start with a lower case letter except, of course, at the beginning of the sentence. There is one exception: in "degree Celsius" (symbol °C) the unit "degree" is lower case but the modifier "Celsius" is capitalized. Thus, body temperature is written as 37 degrees Celsius.

Symbols: Unit symbols are written in lower case letters except for liter and those units derived from the name of a person (m for meter, but W for watt, Pa for pascal, etc.).

Prefixes: Symbols of prefixes that mean a million or more are capitalized and those less than a million are lower case (M for mega (millions), m for milli (thousandths)).

Plurals
Units: Names of units are made plural only when the numerical value that precedes them is more than 1. For example, 0.25 liter or 1/4 liter, but 250 milliliters. Zero degrees Celsius is an exception to this rule.

Symbols: Symbols for units are never pluralized (250 mm = 250 millimeters).

Incorrect Terms
The prefix "kilo" stands for one thousand of the named unit. It is not a stand-alone term in the metric system. The most common misuse of this is the use of "kilo" for a "kilogram" of something. The word "micron" is an obsolete term for the quantity "micrometer." Also "degree centigrade" is no longer the correct unit term for temperature in the metric system; it has been replaced by degree Celsius.

Spacing
A space is used between the number and the symbol to which it refers. For example: 7 m, 31.4 kg, 37 °C.
When a metric value is used as a one-thought modifier before a noun, hyphenating the quantity is not necessary. However, if a hyphen is used, write out the name of the metric quantity with the hyphen between the numeral and the quantity. For example:

• a 2-liter bottle, NOT a 2-L bottle;
• a 100-meter relay, NOT a 100-m relay;
• 35-millimeter film, NOT 35-mm film.

In names or symbols for units having prefixes, there is no space between letters making up the symbol or name. Examples: milligram, mg; kilometer, km.
Spaces (not commas) are used in writing metric values containing five or more digits. Examples: 1 234 567 km, 0.123 456 mm. For values with four digits, either a space or no space is acceptable.

Period
DO NOT use a period with metric unit names and symbols except at the end of a sentence.

Decimal Point
The dot or period is used as the decimal point within numbers. In numbers less than one, zero should be written before the decimal point. Examples: 7.038 g; 0.038 g.

For More Detail
Approximate conversions for many units are given in Table 2. Some writers will require detailed information on units peculiar to their fields. For example, the British thermal unit, calorie, and therm are replaced by the metric unit, joule. For additional information contact:
Metric Program
Technology Services
National Institute of Standards and Technology
U.S. Department of Commerce
Gaithersburg, MD 20899
Telephone: 301-975-3690
A more detailed "Metric Editorial Guide," is available from the American National Metric Council, 4340 East West Highway, Suite 401, Bethesda, MD 20814-4411; 301-718-6508. A "Guide to the Use of the Metric System," 1992 Edition, may be obtained from the U.S. Metric Association, 10245 Andasol Avenue, Northridge, CA 91325-1504; 818-368-7443.

Table 1
COMMON PREFIXES FOR METRIC UNITS

Table 2
METRIC CONVERSION FACTORS (Approximate)

On August 23, 1988, the Omnibus Trade and Competitiveness Act amended and strengthened the Metric Conversion Act of 1975. The modern metric system is now the preferred measurement system for U.S. trade and commerce.

On July 25, 1991, the President signed Executive Order 12770, "Metric Usage in Federal Government Programs." It gives specific direction and new management authority to the Secretary of Commerce to lead and coordinate implementation of the Omnibus Trade Act metric-usage provisions. The National Institute of Standards and Technology's (NIST) Metric Program initiates and carries out plans and programs to assist the Secretary in implementing these provisions. The policy of the United States, as stated by Congress, is to require that each federal agency, by a date certain and to the extent economically feasible by the end of fiscal year 1992, use the metric system in contracts, grants and other business-related activities. The federal Interagency Council on Metric Policy (ICMP) recommends that, in support of the national metric goals and the "Metric Conversion Policy for Federal Agencies," federal agencies ensure that:

• existing measurement-sensitive regulations or requirements are amended as necessary to accommodate the transition to use of the metric system;
• metric units are the preferred units in new or revised regulations or requirements; and
• metric measurement expressions used are both meaningful and practical and not merely mathematical conversions of inch-pound values.

The news media have a singularly important role in supporting businesses and the government and assisting the American public through the metrication process. Businesses and government agencies will train their workers in the metric units needed to perform their jobs. Most Americans will need to understand metric information or products. The cooperation of everyone, including the media, will help ensure a smooth transition period with minimal confusion and disruption.

The NIST Metric Program produced this style guide primarily for federal public affairs officials. It is also intended to be useful to newspaper and magazine editors. The process of explaining the Government's and industry's changeover will be smoother if the media use the correct language and symbols. The units, symbols, and other notation used in this guide are in accord with the International System of Units, which is interpreted or modified for use in the United States by the Secretary of Commerce (55 FR 52242, December 20, 1990).

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