Essential SI Prefixes for Electronics
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ScribdTranslationsEssential SI Prefixes for Electronics
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ScribdTranslationsPREFIXES OF THE INTERNATIONAL SYSTEM
Summary of the most used prefixes in electricity and electronics and guidelines for
unit conversion
The international system of units has provided alphabetical representations for
allow the simple expression of very large or very small voltage values,
current, resistance, capacitance, inductance, frequency, time etc.; in such a way that
letters have been arranged for the representation of positive powers of ten, in the case
of large numbers and negative powers of ten in the case of small numbers.
In the following table, the most common prefixes can be observed along with their respective
equivalent names and powers:
Prefix Value Power of 10
Name Letters Numbers Equivalent
Yours T Millions of millions 1 trillion 1012
Giga G Billions 1,000,000,000 109
Mega M Millions 1,000,000 106
Kilo K Miles 1,000 103
Mili m Thousandth 0.001 10‐3
Micro μ Millionth 0.000001 10‐6
Nano η One billionth 0.000000001 10‐9
Pico ρ billionth 0.0000000000001 10‐12
In the representation of a very large or very small number, it is advisable to write the
number with the least number of decimals accompanied by a prefix with its respective
unit. Example: a current of 0.00062 A is more technically expressed as 620μA, and it
it reads as six hundred twenty microamperes, being the exact equivalent of the first
number.
When the student is getting familiar with this type of units, they find some.
difficulties in making the respective conversions, which is why it is necessary to provide some
guidelines that can serve as a guide in the development of operations of this nature.
Agenda # 1
When the result of an operation between electrical or electronic variables is a
number greater than or equal to a thousand, the technical way is to express this answer as a greater number
that one accompanied by a prefix with its respective unit; for which it must be followed
this procedure:
Express yourself as a number greater than one multiplied by a power of 10
positive, moving the decimal point to the left, as many places as
wish keeping in mind the most suitable prefix to use and then multiply it by
number by the respective power of 10, whose exponent will be a positive number
equal to the number of places the decimal point moved.
Example: The number to be represented is 12,000Ωthe decimal point is located
immediately after the last zero, the most useful prefix here is kilo, then the
number must be taken to another number but multiplied by a power of 103
like this:
12,000.Ω = 12 * 103Ω
2. Replace the power of 10 with the corresponding prefix as follows: 12*103Ω = 12KΩ,
because 103is equal to the letter K.
Agenda # 2
When the numerical result obtained is less than one, it is important to express it as
a number greater than one accompanied by a prefix with its respective unit. The steps
the following are:
Express yourself as a number multiplied by a negative power of ten.
moving the decimal point as many places to the right as necessary
taking into account the prefix that will be used, and then multiply the number by
the respective power of ten whose exponent will be a negative number equal to
number of places the decimal point was moved.
Example:
The number to represent is 0.0034 V, the most suitable prefix is milli = 10-3
Then the result must be initially represented as:
0.003 4 V = 3.4 * 10‐3V
2. Replace the power of 10 with the corresponding prefix as follows: 3.4 * 10‐3V = 3.4
mV.
When operations are performed and there is no working calculator.
directly with the prefixes it is necessary to bring the number to a totally expression
Numerical, the following two guidelines clarify the procedure.
Agenda # 3
A number expressed with a prefix representing a positive power of 10 must be
changed to another with the respective power of 10 and then added to the base the
number of zeros that the power represents, as follows:
1. Replace the prefix with the respective power of 10.
Example: 10.6 MΩ = 10.6 * 106Ω
2. Convert the number into another decimal, to do this you need to move the point.
decimal to the right the number of spaces indicated by the exponent
of the power of ten as follows: 10.6*106Ω = 10 6 0 0 0 0 0Ω 10,600,000Ω.
Agenda # 4
A number expressed with a prefix that represents a negative power of 10 must
to be changed to another with the respective power of 10 and then added to the base, the
number of zeros that the power represents, as follows:
1. Replace the prefix with the respective power of 10.
Example: 32mV=32*10‐3V
2. Convert the number to another decimal, to do this you must move the decimal point.
to the left, the number of times indicated by the exponent of the power
like this:
32*10‐3V = 0 0 3 2 V = 0.032V
In electricity and electronics, the proper handling of operations is very important.
product and division of numbers expressed as powers of 10, therefore it is
recommended that the student starting studies in this area review this type of
mathematical operations as well as some basic algebraic operations.
It is equally essential to properly handle rounding of
numbers and the use of significant digits, concepts that are discussed below.
Rounding of numbers
Rounding numbers is necessary when performing operations between fractions.
we found that the result is a decimal number with many decimal places
to the right of the decimal point; the number is rounded by removing one or more of these digits
in the following way:
¾ If the digit to be removed is less than five, the digit to its left is kept.
unaltered.
Example: Round 3.1742
If rounded to 4 digits, the number is expressed as 3.174
If rounded to 3 digits, the number is expressed as 3.17
¾ If the digit to be deleted is greater than five, the digit is increased by its
left in one.
Example: Round 5.4386
The rounding to 4 digits would be 5.439
Rounding to 3 digits would be 5.44
¾ When the number to be removed is exactly 5, in electricity and
electronically for security, the digit immediately to the left is increased by
one
Round 1.175
The two figures would be as follows: 1.18 and 2.35
Significant digit
It is any digit necessary to define a value.
For example, a voltage of 120 V has three significant digits: 1, 2, and 0.
It should be a rule that zeros are not counted as significant digits if
appear after the decimal point, and then are followed by other significant digits
greater than or equal to one. For example, 0.00032 has two significant digits: the 3 and the 2.
In electricity and electronics, all decimal values less than one must be
express with at least three significant digits to avoid enlarging the errors
in the calculation of circuits or in their design.
WORKSHOP
1. Make the following conversions:
¾ 2 A in mA.
¾ 1.327 A
¾ 8.2 KΩ in ohms
¾ 680 KΩ in MΩ
¾ 10 KV
¾ 0.330 MΩ in KΩ
¾ 0.013KV in Volts
¾ 0.00000004 Seg aηseg
¾ 5,600,000Ω in MΩ
¾ 2.2 GΩ a MΩ
¾ 2000ηsegment aμseg.
¾ 320μA a mA
¾ 100mH to H
Express the quantities with the appropriate prefixes, ensuring that the result is a
integer number followed by the prefix and the unit.
¾ 0.75 x 10‐3A
¾ 325 x 105Ω
¾ 623 x 10‐4V
¾ 4750‐8F
¾ 263 x 10‐12F
¾ 100 x 10‐2H
¾ 6206Ω
¾ 11 times 104V
3. Express the following numbers as decimal numbers.
¾ 0.0076 x 103
¾ 0.75 times 10‐3
¾ 2.1 x10‐1
¾
4 x 10‐2
¾
0.425 x 10‐2
¾
537 x 10‐4
¾ 826 x 10‐5
Drafted by: Blanca Cecilia Dagua Lozada
Instructor Center for Electricity and Industrial Automation
Cali - Valley