| Prefix | Prefix Letter |
Value (base 10) | Value (base 2) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kilo | k (base 10) K (base 2) |
103 = 1,000 = 1 thousand | 210 = 1,024 |
| Mega | M | 106 =1,000,000 = 1 million | 220 = 1,048,576 |
| Giga | G | 109 = 1,000,000,000 = 1 billion | 230 = 1,073,741,824 |
| Tera | T | 1012 = 1,000,000,000,000 = 1 trillion | 240 = 1,099,511,627,776 |
| Peta | P | 1015 = 1,000,000,000,000,000 = 1 quadrillion | 250 = 1,125,899,906,842,624 |
| Exa | E | 1018 = 1,000,000,000,000,000,000 = 1 quintillion | 260 = 1,152,921,504,606,846,976 |
| Zetta | Z | 1021 = 1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 = 1 sextillion | 270 = 1,180,591,620,717,411,303,424 |
| Yotta | Y | 1024 = 1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 = 1 septillion | 280 = 1,208,925,819,614,629,174,706,176 |
| Prefix | Prefix Letter |
Value (base 10) | Distance Light Travels |
|---|---|---|---|
| Milli | m | 10-3 = 0.001 = 1 thousandth | 186 miles |
| Micro | μ | 10-6 = 0.000001 = 1 millionth | 327 yards |
| Nano | n | 10-9 = 0.000000001 = 1 billionth | 11.8 inches |
| Pico | p | 10-12 = 0.000000000001 = 1 trillionth | 0.01 inches |
| Femto | f | 10-15 = 0.000000000000001 = 1 quadrillionth | 1/10 of the way across E.coli |
| Atto | a | 10-18 = 0.000000000000000001 = 1 quintillionth | 3 hydrogen atoms |
| Zepto | z | 10-21 = 0.000000000000000000001 = 1 sextillionth | about 100 atomic nuclei |
| Yocto | y | 10-24 = 0.000000000000000000000001 = 1 septillionth | 1/10 of the way across an atomic nuclei |
Some common usages:
Memory (RAM and Disk)
1 Kbyte = 1,024 bytes (appox. 1 thousand)
1 Mbyte = 1,048,576 bytes (appox. 1 million)
1 Gbyte = 1,073,741,824 bytes (appox. 1 billion)
1 Tbyte = 1,099,511,627,776 bytes (appox. 1 trillion)
Clock Speed
1 kHz = 1 KiloHertz = one thousand cycles per second
1 MHz = 1 MegaHertz = one million cycles per second
1 GHz = 1 GigaHertz = one billion cycles per second
Cycle Time
1 msec = 1 millisecond = 10-3 seconds per cycle
1 μsec = 1 microsecond = 10-6 seconds per cycle
1 nsec = 1 nanosecond = 10-9 seconds per cycle
1 psec = 1 picosecond = 10-12 seconds per cycle
Relationships
1 kHz clock speed is equivalent to a 1 msec cycle time
1 MHz clock speed is equivalent to a 1 μsec cycle time
100 Mhz clock speed is equivalent to a 10 nsec cycle time
1 GHz clock speed is equivalent to a 1 nsec cycle time
Powers of two:
| 21 = 2 | 25 = 32 | 29 = 512 | 213 = 8,192 |
| 22 = 4 | 26 = 64 | 210 = 1,024 | 214 = 16,384 |
| 23 = 8 | 27 = 128 | 211 = 2,048 | 215 = 32,768 |
| 24 = 16 | 28 = 256 | 212 = 4,096 | 216 = 65,536 |