Prefixes: Multiples and Sub-Multiples

Prefixes are used to denote multiples or sub-multiples of units of measurement. They are placed before the base unit to indicate a quantity that is larger or smaller than the base unit.

Multiples

  • Kilo (k): 1000 times the base unit ( 1 kilometer = 1000 meters)

  • Mega (M): 1,000,000 times the base unit (e.g., 1 megabyte = 1,000,000 bytes)

  • Giga (G): 1,000,000,000 times the base unit (e.g., 1 gigabyte = 1,000,000,000 bytes)

  • Tera (T): 1,000,000,000,000 times the base unit (e.g., 1 terabyte = 1,000,000,000,000 bytes)

  • Peta (P): 1,000,000,000,000,000 times the base unit (e.g., 1 petabyte = 1,000,000,000,000,000 bytes)

Sub-Multiples

  • Deci (d): 1/10th of the base unit (e.g., 1 decimeter = 0.1 meter)

  • Centi (c): 1/100th of the base unit (e.g., 1 centimeter = 0.01 meter)

  • Milli (m): 1/1000th of the base unit (e.g., 1 millimeter = 0.001 meter)

  • Micro (µ): 1/1,000,000th of the base unit (e.g., 1 micrometer = 0.000001 meter)

  • Nano (n): 1/1,000,000,000th of the base unit (e.g., 1 nanometer = 0.000000001 meter)

  • Pico (p): 1/1,000,000,000,000th of the base unit (e.g., 1 picometer = 0.000000000001 meter)

Example:

  • To express 1,000 meters using a prefix, we would write 1 kilometer (km).

  • To express 0.001 meters using a prefix, we would write 1 millimeter (mm).

Using prefixes, we can express very large or small quantities more concisely and understandably.