DECIMAL MULTIPLES AND SUB-MULTIPLES

The 11th CGPM (1960, Resolution 12) adopted a series of prefix names and prefix symbols to form the names and symbols of the decimal multiples and submultiples of SI units, ranging from 10¹² to 10^–12. Prefixes for 10^–15 and 10^–18 were added by the 12th CGPM (1964, Resolution 8), for 10¹⁵ and 10¹⁸ by the 15th CGPM (1975, Resolution 10), and for 10²¹, 10²⁴, 10^–21 and 10^–24 by the 19th CGPM (1991, Resolution 4). Table 5 lists all approved prefix names and symbols.

Table 5. SI prefixes

Factor	Name	Symbol	Factor	Name	Symbol
10^1	deca	da	10^–1	deci	d
10^2	hecto	h	10^–2	centi	c
10^3	kilo	k	10^–3	milli	m
10^6	mega	M	10^–6	micro	µ
10^9	giga	G	10^–9	nano	n
10^12	tera	T	10^–12	pico	p
10^15	peta	P	10^–15	femto	f
10^18	exa	E	10^–18	atto	a
10^21	zetta	Z	10^–21	zepto	z
10^24	yotta	Y	10^–24	yocto	y

Prefix symbols are printed in roman (upright) type, as are unit symbols, regardless of the type used in the surrounding text, and are attached to unit symbols without a space between the prefix symbol and the unit symbol. With the exception of da (deca), h (hecto), and k (kilo), all multiple prefix symbols are capital (upper case) letters, and all submultiple prefix symbols are lower case letters. All prefix names are printed in lower case letters, except at the beginning of a sentence.

The grouping formed by a prefix symbol attached to a unit symbol constitutes a new inseparable unit symbol (forming a multiple or submultiple of the unit concerned) that can be raised to a positive or negative power and that can be combined with other unit symbols to form compound unit symbols.

Examples:	2.3 cm^3 = 2.3 (cm)^3 = 2.3 (10^–2 m)^3 = 2.3 x 10^–6 m^3
	1 cm^–1 = 1 (cm)^–1 = 1 (10^–2 m)^–1 = 10^2 m^–1 = 100 m^–1
	1 V/cm = (1 V)/(10^–2 m) = 10^2 V/m = 100 V/m
	5000 µs^–1 = 5000 (µs)^–1 = 5000 (10^–6 s)^–1 = 5 x 10^9 s^–1

Similarly prefix names are also inseparable from the unit names to which they are attached. Thus, for example, millimetre, micropascal, and meganewton are single words.

Compound prefix symbols, that is, prefix symbols formed by the juxtaposition of two or more prefix symbols, are not permitted. This rule also applies to compound prefix names.

Prefix symbols can neither stand alone nor be attached to the number 1, the symbol for the unit one. Similarly, prefix names cannot be attached to the name of the unit one, that is, to the word "one."