Metric Numbers
(See also Metric/Imperial Conversion Charts and Unit Conversion Tool)
In the Metric System there are standard ways of talking about big
and small numbers. "kilo" for a thousand, "mega"
for a million, and so on. See the chart below.
Example, if a long rope measures one thousand meters,
it is easier to say it is a kilometer long, and even easier
to write it down as km.
In that example we used kilo as a prefix to the word meter,
and we used k as a symbol for kilo in front of m as the symbol for meter.
Example 2: if we weigh something on a set of scales and it shows
2,000 grams, we can call that 2 kilograms, or even 2 kg. Example 3: If the doctor wants you to take 5 thousandths of a liter of medicine (thousandth=one thousand times smaller),
he is more likely to say "take 5 milliliters",
or write it down as 5mL. So, using the chart below, how would you refer to a million liters?
How about one millionth of a meter?
Common Big and Small Numbers
| Name |
The
Number |
Prefix |
Symbol |
| trillion |
1,000,000,000,000 |
tera |
T |
| billion |
1,000,000,000 |
giga |
G |
| million |
1,000,000 |
mega |
M |
| thousand |
1,000 |
kilo |
k |
| hundred |
100 |
hecto |
h |
| ten |
10 |
deka |
da |
| unit |
1 |
|
|
| tenth |
0.1 |
deci |
d |
| hundredth |
0.01 |
centi |
c |
| thousandth |
0.001 |
milli |
m |
| millionth |
0.000 001 |
micro |
ยต |
| billionth |
0.000 000 001 |
nano |
n |
| trillionth |
0.000 000 000 001 |
pico |
p |
Some Very Big, and Very Small Numbers
| Name |
The
Number |
Prefix |
Symbol |
|
Very Big ! |
|
|
| septillion |
1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 |
yotta |
Y |
| sextillion |
1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 |
zetta |
Z |
| quintillion |
1,000,000,000,000,000,000 |
exa |
E |
| quadrillion |
1,000,000,000,000,000 |
peta |
P |
| |
Very Small ! |
|
|
| quadrillionth |
0.000 000 000 000
001 |
femto |
f |
| quintillionth |
0.000 000 000 000
000 001 |
atto |
a |
| sextillionth |
0.000 000 000 000
000 000 001 |
zepto |
z |
| septillionth |
0.000 000 000 000
000 000 000 001 |
yocto |
y |
Using Metric Numbers with "Meters"
Here is an illustration of smallest sizes to largest sizes in meters using metric numbers (just add the word "meter" after them, so you get "millimeter" etc):
The numbers use scientific notation to show how big the value is.
Example: 106 is 10 used in a multiplication 6 times, which is a 1 followed by 6 zeros: 1,000,000. It is also called a million.
The prefix is mega, so a megameter is a million meters.
Example: 10-9 is a 1 moved nine places the other side of the decimal: 0.000 000 001
It is also called a billionth.
The prefix is nano, so a nanometer is a billionth of a meter.
You can also use Metric Numbers with other measures like seconds, grams and so on.
All Big Numbers We Know
| Name |
As a Power
of 10 |
As a Decimal |
| Thousand |
103 |
1,000 |
| Million |
106 |
1,000,000 |
| Billion |
109 |
1,000,000,000 |
| Trillion |
1012 |
1,000,000,000,000 |
| Quadrillion |
1015 |
etc ... |
| Quintillion |
1018 |
|
| Sextillion |
1021 |
|
| Septillion |
1024 |
|
| Octillion |
1027 |
|
| Nonillion |
1030 |
|
| Decillion |
1033 |
|
| Undecillion |
1036 |
|
| Duodecillion |
1039 |
|
| Tredecillion |
1042 |
|
| Quattuordecillion |
1045 |
|
| Quindecillion |
1048 |
|
| Sexdecillion |
1051 |
|
| Septemdecillion |
1054 |
|
| Octodecillion |
1057 |
|
| Novemdecillion |
1060 |
|
| Vigintillion |
1063 |
|
All Small Numbers We Know
| Name |
As a Power
of 10 |
As
a Decimal |
| thousandths |
10-3 |
0.001 |
| millionths |
10-6 |
0.000 001 |
| billionths |
10-9 |
0.000 000 001 |
| trillionths |
10-12 |
etc ... |
| quadrillionths |
10-15 |
|
| quintillionths |
10-18 |
|
| sextillionths |
10-21 |
|
| septillionths |
10-24 |
|
| octillionths |
10-27 |
|
| nonillionths |
10-30 |
|
| decillionths |
10-33 |
|
| undecillionths |
10-36 |
|
| duodecillionths |
10-39 |
|
| tredecillionths |
10-42 |
|
| quattuordecillionths |
10-45 |
|
| quindecillionths |
10-48 |
|
| sexdecillionths |
10-51 |
|
| septemdecillionths |
10-54 |
|
| octodecillionths |
10-57 |
|
| novemdecillionths |
10-60 |
|
| vigintillionths |
10-63 |
|
|
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