Question 1

What are metric prefixes?

Accepted Answer

Metric prefixes are standardized multipliers: kilo (k) = 1,000; mega (M) = 1,000,000; giga (G) = 1 billion; milli (m) = 0.001; micro (μ) = 0.000001; nano (n) = 0.000000001.

Question 2

How do I convert between metric prefixes?

Accepted Answer

Each prefix step represents ×1000. To convert: count steps and multiply/divide by 1000 for each. Example: 5 km = 5,000 m = 5,000,000 mm (3 steps × 1000 each).

Question 3

Why do computers use different prefixes?

Accepted Answer

Computers use binary (base-2), so kibi (Ki)=1024, mebi (Mi)=1,048,576. These differ from decimal kilo/mega, causing the "1 TB drive shows 931 GB" confusion.

Question 4

What are the most common prefix mistakes?

Accepted Answer

Confusing M (mega, million) with m (milli, thousandth), mixing binary and decimal prefixes, and forgetting that prefixes apply to all units (kg is 1000g, kW is 1000W).

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