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Converting to Different Units
Posted: Mon Oct 09, 2017 10:28 pm
by Ryan Neis 2L
When problems, such as Question 1.7 (b), ask for an answer in specific units (in this case wavelength in picometers) will we have to memorize the various numbers needed to convert to different types of units, such as micro-, nano-, giga-, mega-, etc., or will that information be provided for us in test problems?
Re: Converting to Different Units
Posted: Mon Oct 09, 2017 11:57 pm
by Christy Lee 2H
We will need to know what the prefixes mean so we can convert between them, like knowing that 10^12 picometers are in one meter. These conversions will not be given, so we have to remember what each prefix means. Hope this helps!
Re: Converting to Different Units
Posted: Tue Oct 10, 2017 2:49 pm
by Cooper1C
In case you do not have them on hand, the prefixes are:
centi 10^-2
mili 10^-3
micro 10^-6
nano 10^-9
An easy way to remember the prefixes is that they decrease by three powers every "step," with the exclusion of centi (which you can remember by centipede or centimeter, although I do not believe centipedes actually have 100 legs).
Re: Converting to Different Units
Posted: Tue Oct 10, 2017 4:49 pm
by Elizabeth Bamishaye 2I
Mr. Lavelle mentioned that we do need to know them, but I feel like the most important are from kilo to pico. The bolded ones are the ones that I have tended to see more often by the problems we have done so far.
Prefixes and their meaning:
Giga 10^9
Mega 10^6
_______________________
Kilo 10^3
Deci 10^-1
Centi 10^-2
Milli 10^-3
Micro 10^-6
Nano 10^-9
Pico 10^-12