Typesetting numerical data (with units) in LaTeX correctly can be difficult and time-consuming. Note that I emphasized “correctly.”
Fortunately, siunitx comes to the rescue. From its description:
Typesetting values with units requires care to ensure that the combined mathematical meaning of the value plus unit combination is clear. In particular, the SI units system lays down a consistent set of units with rules on how they are to be used. However, different countries and publishers have differing conventions on the exact appearance of numbers (and units). A number of LaTeX packages have been developed to provide consistent application of the various rules: SIunits, sistyle, unitsdef and units are the leading examples. The numprint package provides a large number of number-related functions, while dcolumn and rccol provide tools for typesetting tabular numbers.
The siunitx package takes the best from the existing packages, and adds new features and a consistent interface. A number of new ideas have been incorporated, to fill gaps in the existing provision. The package also provides backward-compatibility with SIunits, sistyle, unitsdef and units. The aim is to have one package to handle all of the possible unit-related needs of LaTeX users.
Some examples stolen from its manual:
\num{1+-2i}produces\num{.3e45}produces\si{kg.m.s^{-1}}or\si{\kilogram\metre\per\second}both produce\si[per-mode=symbol]{\kilogram\metre\per\second}produces
These are just a few examples. The possibility is much larger and the package is very useful. So keep my words: “Always use siunitx when possible.”
