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Using Pages for Physics lab report

I

Invizzible

macrumors regular
Original poster
Feb 9, 2003
223
1
I'm using Pages v1.0.2 to write my lab report, and am wondering if there is a way to do two things:

How can I write an x sub i [x with a small i by the lower right side of the x]?

How can I insert a summation notation symbol [∑] WITH the index information below and above it? Inserting the symbol itself is easy with the OS X Characters Palette, but putting the i=1 on the bottom and the N on the top is what I don't know how do in a good looking way.

And since I'm probably going to run into more things like this in the future, is there a resource where I can look this stuff up?

Many thanks!
 
sickmacdoc

sickmacdoc

macrumors 68020
Jun 14, 2008
2,035
1
New Hampshire
I have to agree with miles01110 on the idea of using LaTeX if you are going to be doing more than just the occasional symbol! Basics can be done with Pages but would be very clumsy for any kind of extensive use.

With that being said, with the x sub i you mentioned (subscript) some guidance comes from the Pages "Help" menu item (a resource often overlooked in applications):
To make text subscript or superscript:

1. Select the text you want to raise or lower, or click where you want to type new text.
2. To create a subscript or superscript that has a smaller font size than the text it accompanies, choose Format > Font > Baseline > Subscript. Or choose Format > Font > Baseline > Superscript.
3. To raise or lower text without reducing its font size, choose Raise or Lower from the Baseline submenu.
4.To restore text to the same baseline as the body text, choose Use Default from the Baseline submenu.

You can add Subscript and Superscript icons to the toolbar. Choose View > Customize Toolbar, drag the icons to the toolbar, and then click Done.
To specify a precise amount to raise or lower text, use the Text Inspector. Click Inspector in the toolbar, click Text, click More, and then use the Baseline Shift controls.
Click to expand...
As for the summation, I just made the one attached by using the line spacing adjustment, though I suppose a combo of the superscript and subscript tools could do the same thing if needed, but either solution would be clumsy at best.
 

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I

Invizzible

macrumors regular
Original poster
Feb 9, 2003
223
1
Thanks! I will try the "Pages" work arounds mentioned, and also look into LaTeX (never heard of it before). I have tried MathType, but I find that the images it creates tend to knock the text around too much in Pages, requiring lots of spacing modifications.
 
telecomm

telecomm

macrumors 65816
Nov 30, 2003
1,387
28
Rome
I think you'll find Pages '09 (version 4) + MathType to be the easiest thing to use. Unlike images created in LaTeXiT or Grapher, you don't have to fiddle around with the alignment when you insert something. (So no dragging the image around trying to get it to line up properly with the surrounding text if you insert an equation inline.)

So you can do things like the image shown here pretty easily.

Also, you can match fonts more easily using MathType than you could with LaTeXiT. (Notice that both the equation in this image and the surrounding text are 12 pt Helvetica.)

Anyway, I'd suggest looking at LaTeX (I'm a big fan of TeXShop + BibDesk myself) when you've got the time to learn something new. It's a nice alternative, but both have their strengths and weaknesses.
 

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