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GCSE Physics · key term
A symbol placed before a unit to show that the unit has been multiplied by a particular power of ten.
Used by Edexcel
Specification 1.2 · Paper 1, Paper 2
Revise: PrefixesA prefix placed immediately before a unit gives it a scale. For example, kilo- means one thousand times the unit, so one kilometre is one thousand metres. Nano- means one billionth of the unit, so one nanometre is one billionth of a metre.
Write prefix symbols with the correct capitalisation: means mega, whereas means milli.
Treat the prefix and unit as one symbol: is a millisecond, while would mean metre-seconds.
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Replace a prefix with its power-of-ten multiplier before comparing quantities or substituting values into an equation.