In the designation F49P4-EM12K, what does the 12 indicate?

In the designation F49P4-EM12K, what does the 12 indicate?

• A. .12% carbon
• B. 12% carbon
• C. 0.12% carbon
• D. .012% carbon

Answer: (A)

In this kind of steel designation, the numeric portion encodes the carbon content as a percent, written in decimal form. The digits 12 indicate a carbon content of 0.12 percent. That’s why the correct interpretation is .12% carbon—the decimal form used in the code. It’s not 12% (far too high for steel) or 0.012% (which would be a smaller value). The focus here is that the number after the letters conveys the carbon percentage, expressed as a decimal, so 12 stands for 0.12%.

In this kind of steel designation, the numeric portion encodes the carbon content as a percent, written in decimal form. The digits 12 indicate a carbon content of 0.12 percent. That’s why the correct interpretation is .12% carbon—the decimal form used in the code. It’s not 12% (far too high for steel) or 0.012% (which would be a smaller value). The focus here is that the number after the letters conveys the carbon percentage, expressed as a decimal, so 12 stands for 0.12%.