Prefix and Naming Units

[Lilly Catarozoli 1B]

Should we memorize/study the SI units and their prefixes, names, and meanings or will these be provided for assignments?

[Connie Liang 3L]

I don't believe these will be provided just for general assignments like Sapling homework. However, it is a good thing to be familiar with SI units and their prefixes! Some prefixes are more pertinent than others in chemistry. For example, prefixes such as centi, milli, micro, and nano are more likely to be used in this class than giga or mega. Memorizing these prefixes and their corresponding power of 10 can make it easier to complete assignments without spending time to check their meaning over and over again.

[Michael Iter 2F]

As stated above, it's probably worth it to at least make yourself familiar with the prefixes that correspond to smaller measurements since in chemistry we will be dealing a lot with small particles. It also will save you some time during some problems if you can immediately recognize what a picometer is for example!

[Ariana Flores 3F]

In my last chemistry course, we were given formulas and constants, but never SI units. I feel like Dr. Lavelle really cares that we understand the concepts and know how to apply then rather than test us on memorizable or Googleable things.

I think you should probably ask your TA or Dr. Lavelle in office hours or discussion though because it might be something that is different among professors.

Good thing to think about though, I'm definitely going to ask next time I have the chance!