Match a metric prefix with its symbol, power of ten, factor, and decimal value in one row. This chart displays Yotta (10²⁴) through Yocto (10⁻²⁴), plus the unprefixed base value at 10⁰. Use the table to read scale and compare prefixes, and preserve letter case because M, m, k, and K do not mean the same thing.
Standard Range • Yotta → Yocto
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Range: Yotta to Yocto • SI Units & Powers of 10
| Prefix | Symbol | Power of 10 | Decimal Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yotta | Y | 10²⁴ | 1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 |
| Zetta | Z | 10²¹ | 1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 |
| Exa | E | 10¹⁸ | 1,000,000,000,000,000,000 |
| Peta | P | 10¹⁵ | 1,000,000,000,000,000 |
| Tera | T | 10¹² | 1,000,000,000,000 |
| Giga | G | 10⁹ | 1,000,000,000 |
| Mega | M | 10⁶ | 1,000,000 |
| Kilo | k | 10³ | 1,000 |
| Hecto | h | 10² | 100 |
| Deca | da | 10¹ | 10 |
| (Base) | - | 10⁰ | 1 |
| Deci | d | 10⁻¹ | 0.1 |
| Centi | c | 10⁻² | 0.01 |
| Milli | m | 10⁻³ | 0.001 |
| Micro | µ | 10⁻⁶ | 0.000001 |
| Nano | n | 10⁻⁹ | 0.000000001 |
| Pico | p | 10⁻¹² | 0.000000000001 |
| Femto | f | 10⁻¹⁵ | 0.000000000000001 |
| Atto | a | 10⁻¹⁸ | 0.000000000000000001 |
| Zepto | z | 10⁻²¹ | 0.000000000000000000001 |
| Yocto | y | 10⁻²⁴ | 0.000000000000000000000001 |
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Yotta → Yocto
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A Metric Prefixes Table aligns four pieces of information: the prefix name, its case-sensitive symbol, its power of 10, and the equivalent factor or decimal value. Read across one row rather than mixing entries from different rows. For example, milli is written m, carries the exponent 10⁻³, and scales a base unit by 0.001. The symbol and exponent describe the same scale in different forms.
The row for no prefix is the base value: 10⁰ = 1. A positive exponent represents a multiple of the base unit; a negative exponent represents a fraction of it. Yotta is shown at 10²⁴ and Yocto at 10⁻²⁴ because those are the endpoints displayed by this chart. Read the unit after the prefix as well. The prefix changes scale, while the base-unit symbol identifies what is measured.
Write the exponents for the starting and target prefixes. Subtract the target exponent from the starting exponent. Multiply the starting number by 10 raised to that difference. A negative difference means dividing by a positive power of 10. Keep the unit beside every stage so the direction stays visible.
Changing prefixes does not change the measured quantity. It changes the number and unit label together. A larger unit needs a smaller numerical value for the same quantity; a smaller unit needs a larger value. Before calculating, estimate that direction, then check the exponent difference and symbol case.
Use the Metric Prefixes Table to check case-sensitive SI prefix symbols. Copy the symbol exactly as shown and read it together with the base-unit symbol. Changing capitalization can change the scale by many orders of magnitude or turn a prefix into a unit symbol.
Uppercase M is mega: 10⁶, or 1,000,000 times the base unit. Lowercase m is milli: 10⁻³, or 0.001 of the base unit. For the same base unit, mega and milli differ by 10⁹. M and m are therefore not interchangeable. Preserve the written case when copying a measurement, entering data, or checking a label.
The prefix symbol for kilo is lowercase k and represents 10³, or 1,000 times the base unit. Uppercase K is the unit symbol for kelvin, not a kilo prefix. A kilometer is written km, not Km. Read both characters in a compound symbol: the first may be a prefix, while the following character identifies the unit.
Micro uses the Greek letter µ and represents 10⁻⁶, or 0.000001 of the base unit. Use µ in displayed SI notation. If that character is unavailable during plain-text entry, an interface may accept u as an input fallback, but u is not the official SI prefix symbol. Normalize displayed output to µ when the interface supports it. Nano uses lowercase n and represents 10⁻⁹, or 0.000000001.
Use the Metric Prefixes Table to identify both exponents before doing the arithmetic. These two examples show the factor method in opposite directions: one moves from a prefixed unit to its base unit, and one moves between two negative-exponent prefixes. No measured quantity changes during either conversion.
Kilo is 10³ and the unprefixed base is 10⁰. The exponent difference is 3 − 0 = 3, so multiply by 10³. Therefore, 3.5 km = 3.5 × 10³ m = 3,500 m. The number grows because meters are the smaller unit.
Micro is 10⁻⁶ and milli is 10⁻³. The exponent difference is −6 − (−3) = −3, so multiply by 10⁻³, which is the same as dividing by 1,000. Since 1 mm = 1,000 µm, 2,500 µm = 2.5 mm. The number shrinks because millimeters are the larger unit.
Use a Metric Prefixes Table when you meet an unfamiliar symbol, need to confirm capitalization, want to compare two exponents, or need a readable scale for a measurement. Laboratory labels may use mm, µm, or nm; engineering references may use kPa, MPa, kΩ, MΩ, µF, or pF. Confirm the prefix first, then the base unit and exponent. This prevents a case error from becoming a factor error.
Continue with a focused conversion when you need values rather than prefix definitions. The millimeter and micrometer route shows a 10³ scale gap. The inch routes provide forward and reverse lookup. The temperature route reinforces that uppercase K is the kelvin unit symbol, not the lowercase kilo prefix.
| MM | Microns | Sci |
|---|---|---|
| 0.001 | 1 | 1e-3 |
| 0.005 | 5 | 5e-3 |
| 0.01 | 10 | 1e-2 |
| 0.025 | 25 | 2.5e-2 |
| 0.05 | 50 | 5e-2 |
| 0.1 | 100 | 1e-1 |
| 0.25 | 250 | 2.5e-1 |
| 0.5 | 500 | 5e-1 |
| 1 | 1000 | 1e0 |
| 10 | 10000 | 1e1 |
| Millimeters | Decimal (in) | Fraction (in) |
|---|---|---|
| 0.5 | 0.020 | 0 |
| 1 | 0.039 | 1/16 |
| 6.35 | 0.250 | 1/4 |
| 12.7 | 0.500 | 1/2 |
| 19 | 0.748 | 3/4 |
| 25.4 | 1.000 | 1 |
| 38.1 | 1.500 | 1 1/2 |
| 50.8 | 2.000 | 2 |
| 76.2 | 3.000 | 3 |
| 101.6 | 4.000 | 4 |
| Inches (fraction) | Inches (decimal) | Millimeters | Centimeters |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1/4" | 0.250 | 6.35 | 0.64 |
| 1/2" | 0.500 | 12.70 | 1.27 |
| 1" | 1.000 | 25.40 | 2.54 |
| 1 1/2" | 1.500 | 38.10 | 3.81 |
| 2" | 2.000 | 50.80 | 5.08 |
| 2 1/2" | 2.500 | 63.50 | 6.35 |
| 3" | 3.000 | 76.20 | 7.62 |
| 4" | 4.000 | 101.60 | 10.16 |
| 5" | 5.000 | 127.00 | 12.70 |
| 6" | 6.000 | 152.40 | 15.24 |
| Celsius (°C) | Kelvin (K) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| -273.15 | 0.00 | Absolute zero |
| -50 | 223.15 | — |
| 0 | 273.15 | Freezing point |
| 10 | 283.15 | — |
| 20 | 293.15 | Room temperature |
| 25 | 298.15 | Room temperature |
| 37 | 310.15 | Body temperature |
| 50 | 323.15 | — |
| 75 | 348.15 | — |
| 100 | 373.15 | Boiling point |
Read across the row to connect the prefix name, symbol, power of 10, factor, and decimal value. Do not combine a symbol from one row with an exponent from another. The unprefixed base row is 10⁰ = 1.
Subtract the target exponent from the starting exponent and multiply the starting number by 10 raised to that difference. A negative difference means division by the corresponding positive power. Keep the units attached and estimate whether the numerical value should grow or shrink.
SI prefix and unit symbols are case-sensitive. Changing case may select a different factor or a unit symbol. For the same base unit, M means mega at 10⁶ while m means milli at 10⁻³, a difference of 10⁹.
Kilo is written with lowercase k and has a factor of 10³, or 1,000. Uppercase K is the unit symbol for kelvin. Write kilometer as km, not Km, and preserve the case shown in a source measurement.
M is mega, equal to 10⁶ or 1,000,000 times the base unit. m is milli, equal to 10⁻³ or 0.001 of the base unit. Their factors differ by 10⁹ for the same base unit, so they cannot be exchanged.
The official SI prefix symbol for micro is µ, representing 10⁻⁶. During plain-text entry, an interface may accept u as a fallback when µ is unavailable. The displayed result should use µ when supported; u should not be described as the official symbol.
Identify the starting and target exponents, calculate their difference, and apply the matching power of 10 to the number. Change the numerical value and unit label together so the measured quantity remains the same. Check symbol case before accepting the result.
This chart displays Yotta at 10²⁴ through Yocto at 10⁻²⁴, along with the unprefixed base value at 10⁰. That statement describes this chart's displayed range. It does not claim that the frozen engine shows every prefix in the current SI standard.