9. Measurements and their descriptions
English uses adjectives like high or low and greater or lesser as adjectives to express the volume, size, or quantity of a measurement. The following chart of descriptive words in scientific papers can help in finding the standard adjective to fit common types of measurements.
| high or low | abundance, absorption, accuracy, adiabaticity, background, brightness, contrast, degree, density, energy, extinction, fraction, frequency, latitude, level, luminosity, mass, metallicity, number, obliquity, percentage, precision, pressure, probability, proportion, quality, rate, redshift, resolution, shear, speed, temperature, value, velocity. |
| big/large or small | amplitude, broadening, diffusivity, momentum, opacity, proper motions, radius, uncertainties |
| high/low or large/small | dispersion, frequency, magnitude, number statistics |
| wide/broad or narrow | range, spread, variety |
| steep or shallow | gradient, slope |
| long or short | burst, length, period, time, timescale |
| strong or weak | acceleration, anisotropy, argument, asymmetry, constraint, contrast, current, dependence, effect, evidence, magnetic field, flow, gradient, instability, pulse, relevance, shear, turbulence, velocity field |
| tight or loose | relationship, constraint, correlation note: strong and weak can also be used in these instances |