-----Original Message-----To a person living outside of the USA it is a matter of amazement to find the bizarre combination of units used in American texts. For instance on a single page of a recently published text on Radiation Protection [ J. Shapiro 4th Edition] I found the student had to contend with a plethora of units.
From: Ivor Surveyor [mailto:isurveyor@vianet.net.au]
Sent: Tuesday, 8 April 2003 6:38 PM
To: radsafe@list.vanderbilt.edu
Subject: Subject: RE: Bq soon
On page 361: Ft; Ft^2; Ft/min; Ft^3/min; cm^3/day; pCi/cc; microCi/cc; mCi; MBq
Or on page 372: 1 acre = 4,047 m^2; 1km^2 = 247 Acres; pCi/m^2-s
and a reminder to multiple mCi by 37 to obtain MBq, and pCi by 0.037 to convert to Bq; or Ci by 37 to obtain GBq.
Though out the book there is a continuous need to convert Sv to rem(s); Gy to rad(s); length in cm, ft or m and so on.
By the way in strict SI there is no place for the cm, cc, or cm^3. or use of "pleural forms for units.
I just wonder how this irrational jumble of old and new units is tolerated. Surely more then one "Mars probe" must have gone astray, because of this confusing jumble? I suspect that more then one author has developed a severe "headache" from proof reading of texts. The high quality of many American texts and publications are such as to have a great appeal to international readers What a waste of intellectual effort is expanded in converting backwards and forwards from one system to the other, as one reads and studies papers, text books, or regulations.
I am not aware of any real problem in Australia or UK when we adopted the SI system, except perhaps a feeling of joyous relief.Ivor Surveyor [isurveyor@vianet.net.au]
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