# [NTG-context] Spacing in \unit

Hans Hagen j.hagen at freedom.nl
Sun Sep 25 17:19:32 CEST 2022

On 9/25/2022 3:30 PM, Gavin via ntg-context wrote:
> Hello list,
>
> I have a few questions about space produced by the unit command. Consider this MWE
>
> \starttext
> \unit{3.00e8 kg m/s}
>
> $\unit{3.00e8 kg m/s}$
> \stoptext
>
> The dot between “kg” and “m” has different spacing depending on whether the \unit command is in text or math mode. I think that the tighter spacing in the first one, in text, is correct.
>
> I personally would also like less space around the \times. To me, the number 3.00e8 should be typeset more like a single number, rather than like a product of 3.00 and 10^8. I am probably in the minority here. If \unit and \digit had an option for tighter spacing around the \times, I’d use it, but the current output with more space is probably what most people expect and want. Perhaps something like [scispace=tight].

that's for the math todo

> Finally, \unit does not play nicely with surrounding spaces. For example:
>
>      $2\pi\,\unit{3.00e8 kg m/s}$
>
> causes a fatal error:
>
> tex error       > tex error on line 9 in file ./Untitled.tex: Incompatible glue units (case 1)
that's an interesting case for the engine (Mixing regular and mu skips
and so) ... we mighth finaly have a valid case for a primitive zero test

Hans

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