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Chem Points 

In APS style, the chem point (or centered dot) is used instead of shills to separate the terms in units of measure that involve more than two types of measurement. For further information, consult the ACS Style Guide, p. 96.

Use chem points instead of shills to separate terms in a long unit of measurement.

bad

nmol/min/mg

good

nmol·min-1·mg-1

Chem points are also used to indicate hydration in chemical formulas or an additional compound.

Na2B4O8·6H2O
bound complex eI4E·4E-EPI
Tris·HCl

A heavier centered dot (called a "radical dot") is used in free radicals to indicate the unshared electron. Do not confuse it with the chem point.

·NH2
·OH (hydroxyl radical)
·NO (nitric oxide)

Practical Copyediting

When copyediting in MS Word 2000, the chem point appears as a large dot, closer to the size of a list bullet than what should appear in proof. This is because in Word the "real" chem point is identical to the dot Word uses to denote a space when formatting marks are displayed on screen. The larger bullet is used to avoid confusion.

You may also create a chem point using the «chemp» code.

If you want to create an actual bullet in the manuscript, use the «bull» code.

A radical dot is designated with the code «lrad» if it precedes the chemical formula, or «rrad» if it immediately follows it. «horad» (HO·), «radoh» (·OH), and «o2rad» (O«minus»2·, with the "«minus»" and the "2" stacked) can also be used as shortcuts.

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last edited 07/28/03