Prefix
Exa
Peta
Tera
Giga
Mega
Kilo
Hector
Deka
Deci
Centi
Milli
Micro
Nano
Pico
Femto
Atto
Abbreviation
1E
=
1P
=
1T
=
1G
=
1M
=
1k
=
1h
=
1da
=
BASE UNIT
10 d
=
100 c
=
1000 m
=

109 n
=
1012 p
=
15
10 f
=
1018 a
=
Meaning
1018
1015
1012
109 or 1,000,000,000
1,000,000
1000
100
10
(m,L,g,s)
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
I read the above table from the second column to the third. If I want to know the conversion
from kilometers to meters I find the line with “kilo’s” in it. How I read the table is 1 k = 1000.
This tells me that 1 kilo of my base unit = 1000 of my base unit. So 1 km = 1000 m. I do the
same on the bottom half of the chart also. Finding how many milliliters are in a liter I read from
right to left. 1000 milli base units = 1 base unit so 1000mL = 1 L.
SI Units
Quantity
length
mass
time
volume
temperature
electric current
amount
luminous intensity
Name
meter
kilogram
second
liter
Kelvin
ampere
mole
candela
Symbol
m
kg (mass base unit is the gram (g)
s
L
K
A
mol
cd
UNITS TO REMEMBER
*1 inch = 2.54 cm
*1 lb. = 454 g
*1 L = 1.06 qts
* MEMORIZE
1 qt. = 2 pints
1gal. = 4 quarts
1 mile = 5280 ft
1 mile = 320 rods
1fathom = 6 ft.
1 knot = 6086 ft.
1 league = 3 knots
F=9/5C +32
C=5/9 (F-32)
C=273 + K