Prefixes in Your Physics!

Prefixes are the preceding factor used to represent very small and very large physical quantities in SI units.

Table below shows the prefixes that you need to know in SPM.

Conversion of prefixes

 

There are 3 TYPES of Prefixes questions that can come out in your exam.

Type 1: Prefixes to Normal Number

 

Example 1:

The frequency of the radio wave is 350M Hz. What is the frequency of the radio wave in Hz?
 

Solution:
Mega (M) = 1,000,000 or 10⁶
Therefore,
350MHz = 350 x 10⁶Hz

 

Example 2:

The thickness of a film is 25nm. What is the thickness in unit meter?
 

Solution:
nano (n) = 0.000000001 or 10^-9
Therefore
25nm = 25 x 10^-9m

Type 2: Normal number to Prefixes

 

Example 3:

0.255 s is equal to how many ms.

Solution: 

mili (m) = 0.001 or 10^-3

To write a normal number with prefixes, we divide the number with the value of the prefixes
0.0255 s = 0.0255 ÷ 10^-3 = 25.5 m

Example 4:

Convert 265,500,000 W into GW.

Solution:

Gega (G) = 1,000,000,000 or 10⁹

Therefore,
265,500,000 W = 265,500,000 ÷ 10⁹ = 0.2655GW

Type 3: Prefixes to Prefixes - CHECK THE VIDEO