How to memorize prefixes
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How to memorize prefixes
Does anyone have effective strategies for memorizing the prefixes for units? (like mega- kilo- deca- milli-, etc.)
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Re: How to memorize prefixes
You just gotta Quizlet those out, I think that's the best way and it took me maybe 5 minutes/day for two days until I had them down.
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Re: How to memorize prefixes
For those, mini flash cards really helped me when I was learning them in AP chem. Our teacher actually suggested it and it turned out to be useful.
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Re: How to memorize prefixes
As said before, used flash cards! I like to make my own using quizlet or I use somebody else's quizlet
Re: How to memorize prefixes
Lots of repetition and practice problems will help you over time. If you're still struggling approaching the final making a quizlet would be a great idea!
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Re: How to memorize prefixes
Try associating the prefixes with things you remember. For example I associate deca with decade.
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Re: How to memorize prefixes
I used to just memorize them by practice (repeating them out loud or through flashcards) or associating them with words that also contain that prefix. If worse comes to worst, the equation sheet will have a few conversion factors.
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Re: How to memorize prefixes
I just use flashcards or just memorize them straight up because many of them are used so often in all STEM based classes.
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Re: How to memorize prefixes
As others have said quizlet/flashcards are pretty helpful when trying to memorize the prefixes. Unit conversion problems help out a lot too. Good luck!
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Re: How to memorize prefixes
Before when I wasn't as confident with them, I would try to think of other words with the prefixes to help me (ex. decathlon, cent, millennium). If you can't come up with any, or if you have trouble memorizing them, I'm sure there are several mnemonics online that can make it easier.
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Re: How to memorize prefixes
I'd definitely suggest mnemonics for some of the less common ones but try to remember some of the more common ones.
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Re: How to memorize prefixes
I use the mnemonic King Henry Died by Drinking Chocolate Milk. K= kilo, H = hecto, D = deca, b = standard unit, D = deci, C = centi, M= milli. I hope this helps!!
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Re: How to memorize prefixes
Mine is pretty similar to the one mentioned before, but I use "Kings Hate Dragons Because Dragons Can’t Make Money" for Kilo, Hecto, Deca, Base, Deci, Centi, Milli, Micro.
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Re: How to memorize prefixes
I've heard the above mnemonics as well! But I think what is most helpful is to do as many practice problems as possible and review often. I hope this helps! Good luck.
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Re: How to memorize prefixes
When I took psychology in high school, my teacher said the best way to prefixes and other words is to come up with a goofy term for it, and studies have shown that mnemonics are greatly beneficial and actually work.
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Re: How to memorize prefixes
I like what others have mentioned about using quizlet. I think it is a great tool with memorizing prefixes.
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Re: How to memorize prefixes
For me, a table was actually the most helpful for me! I used the table for every problem I completed until I was naturally doing it without checking the table because it became a force of habit! Maybe try to memorize them in order so you don't have to match them up individually, but you know the listing order!
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Re: How to memorize prefixes
Hi, mnemonics are definitely a great way to memorize these prefixes and constant repetition (although takes time) works well too!
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Re: How to memorize prefixes
samanthaywu wrote:Does anyone have effective strategies for memorizing the prefixes for units? (like mega- kilo- deca- milli-, etc.)
I think quizlet is a good way to learn it and a good alternative to actual flashcards.
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Re: How to memorize prefixes
Hi, you can use flashcards, quizlets, or even mnemonics to help remember the prefixes.
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Re: How to memorize prefixes
I memorized it in high school through flash cards/quizlet, if that helps!
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Re: How to memorize prefixes
This may not be overly specific, but whenever looking at a prefix I'm unsure of, then I try to think of another word I know already that effectively contains the same prefix. For example, I know that a CENTury is a period of 100 years, so I can assume that a unit with the prefix centi- will relate to the base unit by a factor of 100, or 10^2. Unfortunately, learning which prefixes are larger or smaller than the base unit (i.e. a centimeter is smaller than a meter) came down to rote memorization for me, but the aforementioned strategy made the task of comprehending the prefixes' meanings far less daunting for sure. I hope this helps!
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Re: How to memorize prefixes
On a separate note, if you're worried about prefix memorization for the sake of doing well on one of the exams, I wouldn't worry to much. On the constants and equations sheet on Dr. Lavelle's website, all of the units that are likely to appear on an exam are listed as a measure of the base unit, albeit in the abbreviated form. For example, 1 nm = 10^-9 m. The only exception is that 1 liter is described in cubic decimeters. As long as you remember that 1 dm = 10^-1 m, everything else you might need is given to you.
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Re: How to memorize prefixes
I advise you to write it all down on a paper in form of a table and read it every day until it is stuck in your head
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Re: How to memorize prefixes
Hi! Whenever I’m working on memorizing prefixes I just try to think of words that already have those prefixes in them. For example, kilometer means 1,000 meters which must mean that kilo means 1,000.
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Re: How to memorize prefixes
One useful one that I learned in 5th grade was King Henry Died Unusually Drinking Chocolate Milk. (Kilo-, Hecto-, Deca-, *Unit Base*, Deci-, Centi-, Milli-). Hope this helps!
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Re: How to memorize prefixes
Polo Morales 3C wrote:One useful one that I learned in 5th grade was King Henry Died Unusually Drinking Chocolate Milk. (Kilo-, Hecto-, Deca-, *Unit Base*, Deci-, Centi-, Milli-). Hope this helps!
I learned the same mnemonic device! Thank you for reminding me. To the original poster, this does help but everyone learns it in their own ways so creating a quizlet could help.
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Re: How to memorize prefixes
I think of mega as really big like a million and kilo as like times a thousand just because we have seen it so many times and deca as times 10 because a decade is 10 years.
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Re: How to memorize prefixes
I think of mega as really big like a million and kilo as like times a thousand just because we have seen it so many times and deca as times 10 because a decade is 10 years.
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Re: How to memorize prefixes
Like others are saying, flashcards help a lot! I've also found that knowing the root word really helps (ex: cent is 100 in french, so it makes sense that a centi(unit) is one 100th of the original unit)
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Re: How to memorize prefixes
I remember my high school chem teacher gave us a mnemonic for them and it really helped once you had it memorized!
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Re: How to memorize prefixes
My chemistry teacher had us memorize it with a fun little sentence:
King Henry Doesn't Usually Drink Chocolate Milk (Kilo- ,Hecto- ,Deca-, Unit, Deci-, Centi-, Milli-)
It's helped a lot in remembering how far to move the decimal to the right or left for unit conversions too!
King Henry Doesn't Usually Drink Chocolate Milk (Kilo- ,Hecto- ,Deca-, Unit, Deci-, Centi-, Milli-)
It's helped a lot in remembering how far to move the decimal to the right or left for unit conversions too!
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Re: How to memorize prefixes
Quizlet helps, but for me it works better to just grab a piece of paper and just write out all the ones I remember. Then refer back to the list and see the ones i missed and say them out loud a few times and then write them out at least twice. After that I would take a break and repeat the same process after a while.
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Re: How to memorize prefixes
A few prefixes you can get just by common things- for example, a *cent* is one hundredth of a dollar, so centi- means one hundredth. Mostly, you just need to memorize them, though- they come easier with practice.
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Re: How to memorize prefixes
You can use the acronym "The Great Man king henry's daughter Beth drinks cold milk μntil nine pm" which represents:
Tera – The
Giga – Great
Mega – Man
kilo – king
hecto – henry’s
deca – daughter
BASE – Beth
deci – drinks
centi – cold
mili – milk
micro – μntil
nano – nine
pico – pm
Tera – The
Giga – Great
Mega – Man
kilo – king
hecto – henry’s
deca – daughter
BASE – Beth
deci – drinks
centi – cold
mili – milk
micro – μntil
nano – nine
pico – pm
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