h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Any guidelines about chemical symbols vs. spelling out the words? The symbol in question appears in the next-to-last row of the second table in A2815436.

quizzical

Not sure.

I would say that for the first time it is mentioned in an entry then use the words, after that use CO2

But that is just my thoughts.

My personal preference would be to generally use plain english names like 'carbon dioxide', and only use chemical formulas (formuli?)like CO2 in technical or scientific entries. Similarly, you wouldn't write H2O when meaning water, would you?

SchrEck Inc.

I was also leaning toward writing the words in plain English, so that's three of us. I'll change it in the Entry and let Jimster tell me I'm wrong if that's the case.

"after that use CO2"

No! Please don't. That'll give you CO squared, and that's not good at all. Use CO2

And the plural of formula is formulae

That sounds sensible to me. If there's a commonly-used word or phrase, stick with that, and only use formulas and symbols in explanatory notes or full equations.

I say spell out the word and leave the scientific formula for the scientists.