Using Formulas in Sentences for Physics Paper

[Turrialba]

I am translating a paper about a general physics question. I am not very familiar with physics other than the historical perspective and I am requesting some help with the grammar. I have a sentence that translates perfectly from the original Spanish as follows:

“At the moment of t1 at which both objects reach the ground, y1(t1)=y2(t1)=0.”

In English, a complete sentence requires a subject and a predicate. In the above sentence, the subject would be “y1(t1)”, which I guess I don´t have a problem with. My query is regarding the simple predicate, which in this case would be “=”. All of the English words in this sentence amount to prepositional phrases.

Is this standard use of language in scientific documents in English? Should I change the sentence to read something like, “The formula y1(t1)=y2(t1)=0 is satisfied at the moment…”?

Thank you for your time and polite consideration.

 

[mfb]

I am not a native speaker, but that should be fine.
"If/When/... [something], a=b" is quite common in mathematics/physics.

 

[Turrialba]

Thank you.

 

[AlephZero]

I would read "=" as a verb, and "y1 = y2 = 0" as shorthand for "y1 equals zero and y2 equals zero."

I would write the whole sentence as "At time t1 when both objects reach the ground, y1(t1) = y2(t1) = 0".

The reason for putting the "at time t1..." clause first is to explain what "t1" means before it is used in the equation.

Otherwise, you would have to write something like "y1(t1) = y2(t1) = 0, where t1 is the time when both objects reach the ground."

 

[pmacias]

I can provide some guidance on the use of formulas in sentences for a physics paper. In general, it is common practice to use formulas in sentences in scientific writing, especially in the field of physics. However, it is important to ensure that the sentence is grammatically correct and conveys the intended meaning clearly.

In this particular sentence, the use of "y1(t1)" as the subject is appropriate as it represents a specific variable in the formula. However, the use of "=" as the predicate may not be grammatically correct. Instead, it would be more accurate to say "y1(t1) and y2(t1) both equal 0 at the moment t1 when they reach the ground." This sentence maintains the scientific language while also being grammatically correct and easier to understand.

In scientific documents, it is important to maintain clarity and accuracy in language. Therefore, I would recommend rephrasing the sentence to avoid using prepositional phrases as the main part of the sentence. This will make the sentence more concise and easier to comprehend for readers.

Thank you for seeking help with the grammar of your translation. I hope this response has been helpful and I wish you success with your paper.