For commonly used powers of 10, scientists often use metric prefixes when recording measurements.
You will be given Table 1 in tests but you will need to know how to convert measurements into and out of their prefix form.
Table 1: Common prefixes
To convert from a prefix to the base unit, MULTIPLY by its value in the table. Example: Convert 12 kilograms to grams
To convert from a base unit to a prefix, DIVIDE by its value in the table. Example: Convert 376 metres to nanometres
To convert from one prefix to another, convert back to the base unit first before converting to the new prefix. Example: Convert 5.4 microseconds to milliseconds
Practice
Practice converting measurements with prefixes using the online customisable quiz below. Use the following settings:
Quiz Type: One-step conversions
Number of items: 10
Prefix types: More prefixes
Units: Common physics units only
Note: In tests, you will be given Table 1 above. To complete the quiz, use Table 2 below which lists some extra prefixes.