If you have a quantity of items, where the items themselves are described with a measurement, how should you format this so it is unambiguous?
For example, This diagram contains…
- two hundred thirty-five millimeter circles. (looks like you have 235 circles)
- 200 35mm circles. (only a space prevents it from being over twenty thousand circles)
- 200× 35mm circles. (looks like the circles are somehow 200mm × 35mm)
- 200 – 35mm circles. (looks like 200 minus 35)
A good solution needs to work for various numbers: 200 35mm circles, 129 2.5mm circles, etc.
Best Answer
According to the SI system (guide here: http://physics.nist.gov/cuu/pdf/sp811.pdf), acceptable options are
The pertinent rules from the guide above are:
and
Here's a worse case: "20 350 mm circles". In this case, there is still no problem, but the distinction would be very subtle: