METRIC SYSTEM
We all must have heard or recited words like 10mm makes 1cm, 10cm makes 1dm et cetra during our early basic school days. It is necessary to know this because often times in our study of or calculation in physics there is always a strong need to make conversion from one unit to another (S.I unit most times – to be discussed later).
However, in order to be very smart and accurate with conversion, one needs to understand what those common prefixes like milli, centi, deci, kilo etc which are often used means and even the uncommon ones like the ångoström (Å) of sweden which is numerically equal to 10-10
The other ones are:
Okay.
Are you ready?
Here we go :
Metric Prefix Table
| Prefix | Symbol | Multiplier | Exponential |
| yotta | Y | 1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 | 1024 |
| zetta | Z | 1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 | 1021 |
| exa | E | 1,000,000,000,000,000,000 | 1018 |
| peta | P | 1,000,000,000,000,000 | 1015 |
| tera | T | 1,000,000,000,000 | 1012 |
| giga | G | 1,000,000,000 | 109 |
| mega | M | 1,000,000 | 106 |
| kilo | k | 1,000 | 103 |
| hecto | h | 100 | 102 |
| deca | da | 10 | 101 |
| 1 | 100 | ||
| deci | d | 0.1 | 10¯1 |
| centi | c | 0.01 | 10¯2 |
| milli | m | 0.001 | 10¯3 |
| micro | µ | 0.000001 | 10¯6 |
| nano | n | 0.000000001 | 10¯9 |
| pico | p | 0.000000000001 | 10¯12 |
| femto | f | 0.000000000000001 | 10¯15 |
| atto | a | 0.000000000000000001 | 10¯18 |
| zepto | z | 0.000000000000000000001 | 10¯21 |
| yocto | y | 0.000000000000000000000001 | 10¯24 |
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#1 DO THIS NOW:
***Get this(Metric Prefix Table) down somewhere and try to memorize and if possible recite it daily before you leave for school or work.
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Alright, now that you know your Metric prefixes like the back of your left hand and you have it at your disposal to use and un-use anytime any day, let us take a step further to see how we can apply them.
Example 1:
Convert the given values to the values in the unit placed in the parenthesis(bracket) close to them.
- 50dm (m)
- 12.5µm2 (cm2)
- 75pm3 (dm3)
Solution to Example 1
(1.)
50dm = 50 x deci x m = 50 x 10¯1 x m = 5m.(Ans)
(2.)
12.5µm2 = 12.5 x micro2 x m2= 12.5 x (10¯6 )2 x m2 = 12.5 x 10-12 m2
Now, in order to express in cm2, we will re-write 10-12 as multiple of (10-2 )2 ( i.e centi2 which is 10-4)
i.e 103 x 10-4
Do you understand this?
(what we did here was just to divide -12 by -4 which is 3 and Hence we obtain that 10-12 = 103 x 10-4).Hope you get it now right? Let us proceed…
Hence, 12.5 x 10-12 m2 = 12.5 x 103 x 10-4 x m2 = 12.5 x 103 x centi2 x m2 = 12.5 x 103cm2 or 1.25 x 104cm2 (Ans).
(3.)
75pm3 = 75 x pico3 x m3 = 75 x (10-12)3 x m3 = 75 x 10-36m3
Now, in order to express in dm3, we will re-write 10-36 as multiple of (10-1)3 (i.e deci3 which is 10-3) i.e 1012 x 10-3
Do you understand this?
(what we did here was just to divide -36 by -3 which is 12 and Hence we obtain that 10-36 = 1012 x 10-3 ).Hope you get it now right? Let us proceed…
Hence, 75 x 10-36 m3 = 75 x 1012 x 10-3 x m2 = 75 x 1012 x deci3 x m3 = 75 x 1012 dm3 or 7.5 x 1013dm3 (Ans).
By now I want to believe that you are becoming the bravo you have being aspiring to become.
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#2 DO THIS NOW:
***Rewrite the questions in Example 1 and try to solve it independently without spying at my own solution . Compare your answer with mine .If you get it all right, Congratulations – i believe you can no proceed to #1 TRY THIS . However, if you still have problem with any of those Solved examples, I will advice that you go back to study Solution to Example 1 until you understand it properly well.
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physics,EVEN FOR THE SIMPLE 