Superscript

Superscript refers to a character, symbol, or number that is set slightly above the normal line of type. It is typically used in mathematical expressions, chemical formulas, and footnotes. Superscript text is smaller than the main text and is aligned with the top of the line.

Usage

Superscript is commonly used in various fields:

Mathematics

In mathematics, superscripts are used to denote exponents. For example, in the expression x², the "2" is a superscript indicating that x is squared.

Chemistry

In chemistry, superscripts are used to indicate the charge of an ion. For example, in Na⁺, the "+" is a superscript indicating that the sodium ion has a positive charge.

Footnotes and References

In academic writing, superscripts are often used to indicate footnotes or endnotes. For example, a superscript number like "1"¹ might be used to refer to a note at the bottom of the page.

Linguistics

In linguistics, superscripts can be used to indicate tone or other phonetic features in certain transcription systems.

Technical Implementation

Superscript can be implemented in digital text using various methods:

HTML and CSS

In HTML, the <sup> tag is used to create superscript text. For example:

<p>This is an example of superscript: x<sup>2</sup></p>

In CSS, superscript can be styled using the vertical-align property:

.sup {
  vertical-align: super;
  font-size: smaller;
}

Unicode

Unicode includes a range of superscript characters, such as U+00B2 (²) and U+00B3 (³), which can be used directly in text.

History

The use of superscript dates back to early typesetting practices, where it was used to save space and indicate special meanings. In handwritten manuscripts, superscripts were often used to denote abbreviations or omitted letters.

Also see

• Subscript
• Typography
• Exponentiation
• Chemical notation