Southern Luzon State University

Dual Training and Livelihood Center

Lucena Campus

1st Semester AY 2023-2024

ELT02 FUNDAMENTALS OF ELECTRICITY

MODULE FOR PRELIM

Prof. CELIO P. SECO, MTE

Professor
 Module 6
Topic Coverage

Electrical Standards and Conventions

Title: Units and Metric Prefixes

OVERVIEW

In this module, the subject of electrical standards and

conventions is discussed. Complete explanations are given for the
Units and Metric Prefixes. To help students understand the subject, a
few tables are presented.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

At the end of the lesson, you should be able to;

1. Explain the units and metric prefixes in electrical;

2. Comprehend the equivalent for units and metric prefixes;

3. Appreciate the correct and value for the numerical equivalent of

units and metric prefixes.

DISCUSSION

The international metric system of units of dimensions, commonly

called SI, is used in electricity. The abbreviation SI stands for System
International. The seven base units of SI are length, mass, time, electric
current, thermodynamic temperature, light intensity, and amount of
substance Formerly the MKS metric system was used, where M stands for
meter (length), K for kilogram (mass), and S for seconds (time). The two
supplementary units of SI are plane angle and solid angle

Base Units of the International Metric System

Quantity Base Unit Symbol

Length meter m

Mass kilogram kg

Time second s

Electric current ampere A

Thermodynamic kelvin K
temperature

Light intensity candela cd

Amount of substance mole mol

 Supplementary SI Units

Quantity Unit Symbol

Plane angle Radian rad

sr

Solid angle steradian

METRIC PREFIXES In the study of basic electricity, some electrical units are too small
or too large to express conveniently. For example, in the case of resistance, we often use values
in thousands or millions of ohms. The prefix kilo (denoted by the letter k) is a convenient way of
expressing a thousand. Thus, instead of saying a resistor has a value of 10 000 we normally refer
to it as a 10-kilohm (10-kΩ) resistor. In the case of current, we often use values in thousandths or
millionths of an ampere. We will use expressions such as milliamperes and microamperes. The
prefix milli is a short way of saying a thousandth and micro is a short way of saying a millionth.
Thus 0.012 A becomes 12 milliamperes (mA) and 0.000 005 A becomes 5 microamperes (µA).
Lists metric prefixes commonly used in electricity and their numerical equivalents.
Derived SI Units

Quantity Unit Symbol

Energy joule J

Force newton N

Power watt W

Electric charge coulomb C

Electric potential volt V

Electric resistance ohm Ω

Electric conductance siemens S

Electric capacitance farad F

Electric inductance henry H

Frequency hertz Hz
 Magnetic flux weber Wb

Magnetic flux density tesla T

Metric Prefixes used in Electricity

Prefix (Letter Value Pronunciation
Symbol)

mega (M) million 1 000 000 as in megaphone

kilo (k) thousand 1 000 kill’oh

milli (m) thousandth 0.001 as in military

micro (µ) millionth 0.000 001 as in microphone

nano (n) thousand-millionth 0.000 nan’oh

000 001

pico (p) million-millionth 0.000 000 peek’oh

000 001

Example 1.1 A resistor has a value of 10 M stamped on its case. How many ohms of resistance
does this resistor have? The letter M denotes mega, or million. Thus, the resistor has a value of
10 megohms (MΩ) or 10 million ohms.

Example 1.2 A power station has a capacity of delivering 500 000 watts (W).
What is the capacity in kilowatts (kW)? Kilo stands for 1000. Thus, 500 000
W = 500 kW.

Q1. What was the name of the system before metric system? What does
each letter's significance mean? Explain.

The "Imperial system." The name "Imperial" generally refers to the British
Imperial units, which were widely adopted during the British Empire. These
letter significance for:

- I: "Imperial" refers to the British Empire, where this system was commonly
used.

- M: "Mile" was a significant unit of length in the Imperial system.

- P: "Pound" was a fundamental unit of mass.

- E: "Empire" signifies the widespread use of this system across the British
Empire.
- R: "Royal" may have been used to highlight the system's official and
standardized nature.

- I: "Inch" was another important unit of length in the system.

- A: "Acre" was a unit of land area.

Q2. What is the purpose of SI? Give examples using the SI basic units.

The purpose of SI is Scientific Advancement SI promotes scientific progress

by providing a common language for scientists, engineers, and researchers.
The example of basic units is Meter (m) The SI unit for length. It provides a
standardized way to measure distances. For instance, the length of a soccer
field is approximately 100 meters

[Link] the Metric Prefixes used in Electricity.

METRIC PREFIXES In the study of basic electricity, some electrical units are
too small or too large to express conveniently. For example, in the case of
resistance, we often use values in thousands or millions of ohms. The prefix
kilo (denoted by the letter k) is a convenient way of expressing a thousand.

Q4. Why is understanding the international metric system important?

Understanding in Global Standardization the metric system is widely adopted

across the world, making it a global standard for measurement. This
common language of measurement is crucial for international trade, science,
and communication.