Presentation of Data in Tables and Figures

In tables, lengthy numbers should be avoided. If a catain quantity is 150,000 kg, the next entry is 130, 000 kg, then it is desirable to abbreviate the entry in a suitable way. Several possibilities are shown in Table 11.5. In column 1 of Table 11.5 we have given the original SI unit, i.e., kg. However, the numbers below the head appear to be lengthy. The correct reading of column 2 expects that we have multiplied these 150, 000 kg by a factor of 10 to obtain the entries below. In column 3, the situation is reverse. The entries are given in multiples of 1000 kg. Therefore, to interpret the information correctly, some basic knowledge, how the table was constructed, is necessary. In column 4, we start with the equation 

The same arguments hold for figures. In figures, the axis labels should appear as dimensionless quantities. If the legend of an axis is Itf K/T, then a label tick of 4 means K/T = A, and therefore 

There are various alternative possibilities to denote the legend, e.g., 

There are still other features in dimensional analysis, in particular the Il-theorem invented by Buckingham in 1914 [27], This powerful topic is reviewed by Wai-Kai Chen [28]. 

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This algebraic treatment of units to create pure numbers is also convenient for the unambiguous presentation of data in tables and figures. 

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