Arbitrary unit
In science and technology, an arbitrary unit (abbreviated arb. unit,[1] see below) or procedure defined unit[2] (p.d.u.) is a relative
When the reference measurement is precisely defined and internationally agreed upon, arbitrary units can also be a unit capable of public comparison. One example of a publicly defined arbitrary unit is the WHO International Unit.[2]
Abbreviations and nomenclature
Abbreviations for "arbitrary unit" include: arb. unit,[1] arb. u., AU,[3] and a.u.[4] Among these, "AU" and "a.u." are common abbreviations for astronomical units and atomic units.[5] For this reason, Physical Review journals, the Japanese Journal of Applied Physics, and an increasing number of other academic journals, recommend against using "a.u." (Jpn. J. Appl. Phys recommends "arb. unit" instead).[6]
In
While arbitrary unit is not a formally recognized unit,
References
- ^ .
- ^ IFCC. October 23, 2008. Archived from the original(PDF) on August 10, 2011. Retrieved September 10, 2010.
- ^ "Standard abbreviations". Journal of Clinical Investigation. American Society for Clinical Investigation. January 2, 2008. Archived from the original on 28 July 2010. Retrieved September 10, 2010.
- ^ "Abbreviations and Symbols List" (PDF). Information and Guidance for Authors, Experimental Physiology. The Physiological Society. Retrieved September 10, 2010.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "Appendix C: Units of Measure" (PDF). AIP Style Manual (4th ed.). American Institute of Physics. 1990. Archived from the original on 15 September 2010. Retrieved September 9, 2010.
- ^ "Instructions for preparation of manuscript" (PDF). Japanese Journal of Applied Physics. The Japan Society of Applied Physics. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 11, 2009. Retrieved September 11, 2010.
- ^ Schadow, Gunther (2017-11-21). "The Unified Code for Units of Measure §45 chemical and biochemical units". Retrieved 2018-01-15.