Changes

Hidden radian units

23 bytes added, 16:41, 24 July 2013

→‎IUPAC report: Quote improvements.

=== IUPAC report ===

This reference explains a bit more clearly why the radian unit isinvisible in most situations.

Title: Quantities, units, and symbols in physical chemistry (second edition).

Quote from page 11:

~~"The units radian (rad) and steradian (sr), for plane angle and solid~~

~~angle respectively, are described as 'SI supplementary units' [3].~~

~~Since they are of dimension 1 (i.e. dimensionless), they may be~~

~~included if appropriate, or they may be omitted if clarity is not lost~~

~~thereby, in expressions for derived SI units."~~

~~This is the part meaning that radians are implied if you are doing~~

~~anything angular. I don't know what they mean by clarity because by~~

~~omitting them it complicates things. Maybe you have to be a physicist~~

~~before you can see this clarity.~~

<blockquote>The units radian (rad) and steradian (sr), for plane angle and solid angle respectively, are described as 'SI supplementary units' [3]. Since they are of dimension 1 (i.e. dimensionless), they may be included if appropriate, or they may be omitted if clarity is not lost thereby, in expressions for derived SI units.</blockquote>

This is the part meaning that radians are implied if you are doing anything angular. I don't know what they mean by clarity because by omitting them it complicates things. Maybe you have to be a physicist before you can see this clarity.

== Spherical harmonics ==

Bugman

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