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Re: Mathematica 9--Is This A Joke?

  • To: mathgroup at smc.vnet.net
  • Subject: [mg128888] Re: Mathematica 9--Is This A Joke?
  • From: Matthias Bode <lvsaba at hotmail.com>
  • Date: Sun, 2 Dec 2012 05:00:01 -0500 (EST)
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Hola:
The SI units' correct names are given in the singular form:
Cf.:
http://www.bipm.org/utils/common/pdf/si_brochure_8_en.pdf
http://physics.nist.gov/cuu/Units/units.html
The plural is wrong.
The unit "siemens" is singular too although its last letter is s; it was named after after Ernst Werner von Siemens.
Best regards,

MATTHIAS BODE

S 17.36398=B0, W 66.21816=B0,2'590 m. AMSL.


> From: murray at math.umass.edu
> Subject: Re: Mathematica 9--Is This A Joke?
> To: mathgroup at smc.vnet.net
> Date: Sat, 1 Dec 2012 04:35:30 -0500
>
> No need to be "horrified". Just read the docs!
>
> Yes, there's not "Newton". But did you notice that "Kilograms",
> "Meters", and "Seconds" are all plural. So is "Newtons"!
>
> This is easy to discover: Use the Control + = special input form for
> calling Wolfram|Alpha with input
>
>   1 Newton
>
> (You'll get result 1 N.) But then put //InputForm on the cell and
> evaluate again. You'll get:
>
>   Quantity[1, "Newtons"]
>
>
> On Nov 30, 2012, at 5:57 AM, Kevin Wheelock <jiyajbe at gmail.com> wro=
te:
>
> > I just installed Mathematica 9. I am horrified. How did this get past
> QA and Usability Testing?
> >
> > Example: Newton's 2nd Law
> >
> > In Mathematica 8:
> >
> > In[1]:= Needs["Units`"]
> >
> > In[2]:= M := 5 Kilogram
> >
> > In[3]:= a := 10 Meter/Second^2
> >
> > In[4]:= F := M a; F
> >
> > Out[4]= (50 Kilogram Meter)/Second^2
> >
> > In[5]:= Convert[%, Newton]
> >
> > Out[5]= 50 Newton
> >
> >
> >
> > In Mathematica 9:
> >
> > In[1]:= M := Quantity[5, "kg"]
> >
> > In[2]:= a := Quantity[10, "m/s^2"]
> >
> > In[3]:= F := M a; F
> >
> > Out[3]= 50kg m/(s)^2
> >
> > {At this point, Mathematica pops up a dialog offering, among other=

> things, to let me convert this unit. Okay, I enter "N" in the field I=

> was presented}
> >
> > In[4]:= UnitConvert[
> > Quantity[50, ("Kilograms" "Meters")/("Seconds")^2], "N"]
> >
> > During evaluation of In[4]:= UnitConvert::unkunit: Unable to
> interpret unit specification N. >>
> >
> > Out[4]= UnitConvert[50kg m/(s)^2,N]
> >
> > {Huh. Okay, I try other things...}
> >
> > In[5]:= UnitConvert[
> > Quantity[50, ("Kilograms" "Meters")/("Seconds")^2], N]
> >
> > During evaluation of In[5]:= UnitConvert::unkunit: Unable to
> interpret unit specification N. >>
> >
> > Out[5]= UnitConvert[50kg m/(s)^2,N]
> >
> > In[7]:= UnitConvert[
> > Quantity[50, ("Kilograms" "Meters")/("Seconds")^2], "Newton"]
> >
> > During evaluation of In[7]:= UnitConvert::unkunit: Unable to
> interpret unit specification Newton. >>
> >
> > Out[7]= UnitConvert[50kg m/(s)^2,Newton]
> >
> > In[8]:= UnitConvert[
> > Quantity[50, ("Kilograms" "Meters")/("Seconds")^2], "Newtons"]
> >
> > Out[8]= 50N
> >
> > {Ha! I finally guessed right!}
> >
> > Who the HELL thinks this is better????? "M := Quantity[5,"kg"]"???=

> Are you KIDDING ME????
> >
> > Give me back version 8, and QUICKLY!
>
> ---
> Murray Eisenberg                                   
> murray at math.umass.edu
> Mathematics & Statistics Dept.     
> Lederle Graduate Research Tower            phone 413 549-1020 (H)
> University of Massachusetts                               413 545-2838 (W=
)
> 710 North Pleasant Street                         fax   413 545-1801
> Amherst, MA 01003-9305
>
>
>
>
>
>
 		 	   		  =



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