Q:
What is the purpose of using prefixes in the metric system?
A:
Quick Answer
The prefixes used within the metric system serve to designate a multiple or subdivision of a unit. The most common prefixes include: mega-, kilo-, centi-, milli- and nano-. All prefixes designate a power of 10.
Continue ReadingFull Answer
The metric system has been adopted by the majority of the world and uses one fundamental unit for every quantity. Prefixes are attached to the fundamental unit for very large or very small numbers. For example, 1,000 meters is more easily represented as 1 kilometer. Conversely, 0.001 grams is more easily represented as 1 milligram. The one-letter abbreviations for the prefixes are case sensitive. For example, capital "M" is the abbreviation for mega-, while lowercase "m" is the abbreviation for milli-.
Learn more about MeasurementsSources:
Related Questions
-
Q:
What is the base unit of measure for length in the metric system?
A: The meter is the metric system's base unit of length. Since 1983, the meter has been defined as the distance light travels in 1/299,792,458 of a second. Th... Full Answer >Filed Under: -
Q:
What metric unit is used to measure weight?
A: The unit used to measure weight in the metric system is the gram. Other metric units for weight include the kilogram, the metric ton and the milligram. Full Answer >Filed Under: -
Q:
What is work measured in?
A: In the metric system, the joule is the unit of measure for work. In physics, a force does work on an object when the object moves in the direction of the f... Full Answer >Filed Under: -
Q:
How big is a gram?
A: A gram, a commonly used unit of mass in the metric system, is one-thousandth of a kilogram. The abbreviation for gram is "g," and "kg" represents a kilogra... Full Answer >Filed Under:
