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From: rwt@dcs.ed.ac.uk (Rainer Thonnes)
Subject: Re: kByte, KByte, Kbyte, kbyte???
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References: <4m28li$69o$1@sydney.DIALix.oz.au> <ADAD698D9668D90B3@hearsay.demon.co.uk> <4m8d7t$2mc@bone.think.com> <831118245snz@gbutler.demon.co.uk> <4md3tr$5ms@bone.think.com> <b6SBjKj030n@sktb.demon.co.uk> <318b7f52.3764878@nntpserver.swip.net> <b7TNMhj030n@sktb.demon.co.uk>
Date: Wed, 8 May 1996 15:24:56 GMT
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In article <b7TNMhj030n@sktb.demon.co.uk>,
"Paul L. Allen" <pla@sktb.demon.co.uk> writes:
> In article <318b7f52.3764878@nntpserver.swip.net>
>     niklas.bonnemark@mailbox.swipnet.se (Niklas Bonnemark) writes:
> > 
> > Allow me to doubt that. Say, do you write Amperage or amperage,
> > Voltage or voltage?
> 
> Oh dear, oh dear.  The correct technical terms are current and
> electro-motive force (for sources like batteries) and potential difference
> (for sinks like resistors).  So you would write `a current of 1 Amp flowing
> through a resistance of 1 Ohm results in a potential difference of 1 Volt
> across it', not `an amperage of 1 Amp flowing through an Ohmmage of 1 Ohm
> results in a voltage of 1 volt across it'.
> 
> Admittedly, the use of voltage is quite common in less formal writing,
> replacing both EMF and PD but amperage is not.  Even so, your question shows
> that you cannot distinguish between a unit of measuremnt (the Volt) and a
> descriptive term (voltage).

You're being unduly harsh.  Although Niklas's use of "amperage" was
ill-advised (at least in English, it may be different in Sweden), his
main point was whether you write voltage with a capital V.

As you point out, voltage is a very widely used synonym for EMF, potential,
or tension.  That does not mean the speaker does not know the difference
between the quantity being measured and the units in which this is done.

Voltage is relatively unique in this respect, but if you dislike amperage,
would you disapprove as unequivocally of mileage (cars) and footage (film)?
