Re: Is this acceptable Chemical English?

farooq_w_at_hotmail.com
Date: 02/26/05 

Date: 26 Feb 2005 07:25:50 -0800

Bob wrote:

> >"Weigh 0.1 g of extra pure X to the nearest 0.1 mg, transfer to a
500
> >ml volumetric flask(...). Take the absorbance readings..."
> >is usually transformed as
> >
> >"Weighed 0.1675 g X, transferred and dissolved in distilled water
and
> >_maked up_ the volume. Took absorbance of this solution.
>
> Other than the incorrect irregular verb form, that is not so bad.

So you suggest that starting a sentence like "Weighed 1.234 g of X and
transferred to a 500 ml volumetric flask" is grammatically correct.
Maked up is certainly wrong.

>
> I think the earlier one is somewhat easier to follow. Not a big deal.
>
> Yes, transferred should be transferring, etc. The main verb is
> prepared; weighing, transferring, dissolving all go with by.
>
>
> But how about... I weighed a 0.1675 g sample of ...

I read somewhere that in scientific writing usage of "I" is severely
frowned upon but people like Newton have used "I" in his writings. Most
of the journals would not allow this usage.

>
> Direct, clear, and avoids starting with the number.
>