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SI or Metric Prefixes

Common SI Prefixes

Text Symbol Factor
tera T 1,000,000,000,000
giga G 1,000,000,000
mega M 1,000,000
kilo k 1,000
hecto h 100
(none) (none) 1
centi c 0.01
milli m 0.001
micro µ 0.000001
nano n 0.000000001

Example Calculations


To convert centimeters to meters,
   multiply by 0.01 (or divide by 100)
      cm x 0.01 = m
      OR, cm ÷ 100 = m

To convert meters to centimeters,
   multiply by 100
      m x 100 = cm

To convert meters to kilometers,
   multiply by 0.001 (or divide by 1000)
      m x 0.001 = km
      OR, m ÷ 1000 = km

To convert kilometers to meters,
   multiply by 1000
      km x 1000 = m

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