Knowledge (XXG)

Nines (notation)

Source 📝

31: 626:
At "five nines pure" (99.999%) the gold contained less than 10 parts per million of other elements like silver, aluminum and zirconium, one decimal place purer and hundreds of thousands of dollars more valuable than any gold coinage minted in Vienna or elsewhere,
657:
We achieved "arguably the purest of all gold" in 1957. Refinery Officer Leo Hickey and Senior Craftsman Alexander Osborne produced a proof 'plate' of almost six nines - 999.999 parts of gold per thousand - as measured by the Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths in
461:
indicates a system that is available 90% of the time or, as is more commonly described, unavailable 10% of the time – about 72 hours per month. A "five nines" (99.999%) uptime describes a system that is unavailable for at most 26 seconds per month.
84:
However, there are different conventions for representing inexact multiples of 9. For example, a percentage of 99.5% could be expressed as "two nines five" (2N5, or N2.5) or as 2.3 nines, following from the logarithm definition.
387:
of purity for very fine precious metals. Similarly, percentages ending in a 5 have conventional names, traditionally the number of nines, then "five", so 999.5 fine (99.95% pure) is "three nines five", abbreviated 3N5.
494:
For example, the difference between a purity of aluminum of "four nines" and "six nines" is understandable to a scientist, but not necessarily to a politician. (These are 99.99 percent pure and 99.9999 percent
419:, as measured by volume. Thus, a high purity refers to a low amount of other gases, or impurities. Gases of higher purity are in many contexts considered to be of better quality and are usually more expensive. 337: 437:
Intermediate values indicate the digit following the last nine. For example, N4.6 estimates a purity level of 99.996% (four nines followed by a six). An alternative representation uses the
673: 593: 395:, a coin made of gold at 5N (99.999%) purity, stands as the purest gold coin ever minted, anywhere. The purest gold ever achieved was reportedly produced at the 556:
Therefore, in reality, it's virtually impossible to have a 100% chemically pure substance that maintains its purity for an extended period of time.
422:
The purity of a gas is generally expressed as a grade prefixed with the letter N (rather than postfixed), indicating the "number of nines" in the
481:
Technical Information for Congress: Report to the Subcommittee on Science, Research and Development of the Committee on Science and Astronautics
733: 81:
that appear in a proportion. For example, 90% would be described as "one nine"; 99% as "two nines"; 99.9% as "three nines"; and so forth.
45:
notation for proportions very near to one or, equivalently, percentages very near 100%. Put simply, "nines" are the number of consecutive
400: 430:. For example, a N2.0 gas is 99% (two nines) pure and 1% impurities by volume; a N6.0 gas is 99.9999% (six nines) pure, with 1 527:
For example, good commercial-grade gases for plasma spraying are stated to be at least 99.995% ("four-nines-five" purity).
274: 514: 57:
such as 0.999 (three nines). Their common uses include grading the purity of materials – especially
788: 778: 763: 608: 773: 768: 758: 569: 364: 738: 587: 479: 454: 384: 508: 438: 431: 427: 54: 540: 639: 783: 392: 62: 58: 30: 752: 703: 678: 17: 613: 411:
The nines scale is also used in other contexts, such as describing the purity of
92:– though, in the context of purity of materials, 100% is virtually unachievable. 415:. The purity of a gas is an indication of the ratio of it to other gases in its 441:: for example, a gas which is 99.97% pure would be described as N3.5, since log 644: 423: 396: 375:
if it is 900 fine, or 90% pure. A metal that is 990 fine is then described as
50: 42: 743: 352: 101: 89: 416: 458: 399:
in 1957, at "almost six nines" (99.9999%) purity, as measured by the
360: 708: 29: 356: 412: 65: – or measuring the availability of a service. 434:(1 ppm or 1 vpm, volume per million) impurities. 78: 46: 351:
The exact purity of very fine precious metals such as
277: 331: 609:"The saga of Canada's stolen million-dollar coin" 363:can be of great interest. Based on the system of 332:{\displaystyle \mathrm {nines} =-\log _{10}(1-x)} 453:Nines are used in a similar manner to describe 8: 88:A percentage of 100% would, in theory, have 34:1 troy ounce of four nines fine gold (999.9) 592:: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list ( 27:Logarithmic notation for numbers near 100% 379:and one that is 999 fine is described as 305: 278: 276: 94: 698: 696: 471: 585: 457:. In this context, a "one nine" (90%) 668: 666: 539:Bell-Young, Lucy (18 November 2020). 7: 734:List of unusual units of measurement 510:Handbook of Thermal Spray Technology 265:The number of nines of a proportion 674:"Purity, Grades, and Concentration" 507:Davis, Joseph R. (September 2004). 77:are a count of the leftmost digits 640:"The Perth Mint story and history" 291: 288: 285: 282: 279: 25: 607:Waldman, Ben (31 January 2019). 401:Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths 326: 314: 1: 53:such as 99% (two nines) or a 484:. 25 April 1969. p. 123 455:computer system availability 90:an infinite number of nines 805: 704:"Definition of five nines" 541:"What Are Pure Chemicals?" 105: 445:(0.03%) = −3.523. 367:, a metal is said to be 333: 35: 570:"Name that function!" 334: 33: 568:jtw13 (2012-06-04). 383:. Thus, nines are a 275: 449:System availability 365:millesimal fineness 18:Nines (engineering) 739:Parts-per notation 329: 36: 515:ASM International 385:logarithmic scale 263: 262: 16:(Redirected from 796: 789:Industrial gases 779:Jewellery making 764:Gold investments 721: 720: 718: 716: 700: 691: 690: 688: 686: 670: 661: 660: 654: 652: 636: 630: 629: 623: 621: 604: 598: 597: 591: 583: 581: 580: 565: 559: 558: 553: 551: 536: 530: 529: 524: 522: 504: 498: 497: 491: 489: 476: 439:common logarithm 432:part per million 428:decimal fraction 381:three nines fine 338: 336: 335: 330: 310: 309: 294: 95: 63:industrial gases 55:decimal fraction 41:are an informal 21: 804: 803: 799: 798: 797: 795: 794: 793: 774:Units of purity 769:Precious metals 749: 748: 730: 725: 724: 714: 712: 702: 701: 694: 684: 682: 672: 671: 664: 650: 648: 638: 637: 633: 619: 617: 606: 605: 601: 584: 578: 576: 567: 566: 562: 549: 547: 538: 537: 533: 520: 518: 506: 505: 501: 487: 485: 478: 477: 473: 468: 451: 444: 409: 349: 347:Precious metals 344: 301: 273: 272: 268: 71: 59:precious metals 28: 23: 22: 15: 12: 11: 5: 802: 800: 792: 791: 786: 781: 776: 771: 766: 761: 751: 750: 747: 746: 741: 736: 729: 726: 723: 722: 692: 662: 631: 599: 560: 531: 499: 470: 469: 467: 464: 450: 447: 442: 408: 405: 393:Big Maple Leaf 377:two nines fine 348: 345: 343: 340: 328: 325: 322: 319: 316: 313: 308: 304: 300: 297: 293: 290: 287: 284: 281: 266: 261: 260: 257: 254: 251: 248: 244: 243: 240: 237: 234: 231: 227: 226: 223: 220: 217: 214: 210: 209: 206: 203: 200: 197: 193: 192: 189: 186: 183: 180: 176: 175: 172: 169: 166: 163: 159: 158: 155: 152: 149: 146: 142: 141: 138: 135: 132: 129: 125: 124: 121: 118: 115: 112: 108: 107: 104: 99: 70: 67: 26: 24: 14: 13: 10: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 801: 790: 787: 785: 782: 780: 777: 775: 772: 770: 767: 765: 762: 760: 757: 756: 754: 745: 742: 740: 737: 735: 732: 731: 727: 711: 710: 705: 699: 697: 693: 681: 680: 675: 669: 667: 663: 659: 647: 646: 641: 635: 632: 628: 616: 615: 610: 603: 600: 595: 589: 575: 571: 564: 561: 557: 546: 542: 535: 532: 528: 516: 512: 511: 503: 500: 496: 483: 482: 475: 472: 465: 463: 460: 456: 448: 446: 440: 435: 433: 429: 425: 420: 418: 414: 406: 404: 402: 398: 394: 389: 386: 382: 378: 374: 373:one nine fine 370: 366: 362: 358: 354: 346: 341: 339: 323: 320: 317: 311: 306: 302: 298: 295: 270: 258: 255: 252: 249: 246: 245: 241: 238: 235: 232: 229: 228: 224: 221: 218: 215: 212: 211: 207: 204: 201: 198: 195: 194: 190: 187: 184: 181: 178: 177: 173: 170: 167: 164: 161: 160: 156: 153: 150: 147: 144: 143: 139: 136: 133: 130: 127: 126: 122: 119: 116: 113: 110: 109: 103: 100: 97: 96: 93: 91: 86: 82: 80: 76: 68: 66: 64: 60: 56: 52: 48: 44: 40: 32: 19: 713:. Retrieved 707: 683:. Retrieved 677: 656: 649:. Retrieved 643: 634: 625: 618:. Retrieved 612: 602: 577:. Retrieved 573: 563: 555: 548:. Retrieved 544: 534: 526: 519:. Retrieved 517:. p. 94 509: 502: 493: 486:. Retrieved 480: 474: 452: 436: 421: 410: 390: 380: 376: 372: 368: 350: 271: 264: 87: 83: 74: 72: 69:Nomenclature 38: 37: 574:AstroWright 403:of London. 43:logarithmic 759:Metallurgy 753:Categories 685:22 January 645:Perth Mint 579:2024-06-09 466:References 424:percentage 397:Perth Mint 51:percentage 614:Maclean's 391:Canada's 321:− 312:⁡ 299:− 219:4 nines 5 185:3.5 nines 168:3 nines 5 744:0.999... 728:See also 715:19 April 651:19 April 620:19 April 588:cite web 550:19 April 521:19 April 488:19 April 369:one nine 353:platinum 247:99.9999% 102:Permille 658:London. 545:ReAgent 417:mixture 253:6 nines 250:999.999 236:5 nines 230:99.999% 213:99.995% 202:4 nines 151:3 nines 134:2 nines 98:Percent 495:pure). 459:uptime 361:silver 233:999.99 216:999.95 196:99.99% 179:99.97% 162:99.95% 117:1 nine 106:Nines 784:Gases 709:PCMag 627:ever. 413:gases 407:Gases 259:N6.0 242:N5.0 225:N4.5 208:N4.0 199:999.9 182:999.7 174:N3.5 165:999.5 157:N3.0 145:99.9% 140:N2.0 123:N1.0 75:nines 49:in a 47:nines 39:Nines 717:2024 687:2017 653:2024 622:2024 594:link 552:2024 523:2024 490:2024 359:and 357:gold 342:Uses 269:is: 73:The 61:and 679:BOC 426:or 371:or 303:log 222:4N5 171:3N5 148:999 131:990 128:99% 114:900 111:90% 755:: 706:. 695:^ 676:. 665:^ 655:. 642:. 624:. 611:. 590:}} 586:{{ 572:. 554:. 543:. 525:. 513:. 492:. 443:10 355:, 307:10 256:6N 239:5N 205:4N 191:? 154:3N 137:2N 120:1N 719:. 689:. 596:) 582:. 327:) 324:x 318:1 315:( 296:= 292:s 289:e 286:n 283:i 280:n 267:x 188:? 79:9 20:)

Index

Nines (engineering)

logarithmic
nines
percentage
decimal fraction
precious metals
industrial gases
9
an infinite number of nines
Permille
platinum
gold
silver
millesimal fineness
logarithmic scale
Big Maple Leaf
Perth Mint
Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths
gases
mixture
percentage
decimal fraction
part per million
common logarithm
computer system availability
uptime
Technical Information for Congress: Report to the Subcommittee on Science, Research and Development of the Committee on Science and Astronautics
Handbook of Thermal Spray Technology
ASM International

Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.