Prefixes Converter
Convert between SI and binary prefixes: kilo, mega, giga, tera, and more
SI Decimal Prefixes
Large Units
Tera (T) = 10¹² • Giga (G) = 10⁹ • Mega (M) = 10⁶ • Kilo (k) = 10³
Small Units
Milli (m) = 10⁻³ • Micro (μ) = 10⁻⁶ • Nano (n) = 10⁻⁹ • Pico (p) = 10⁻¹²
Examples
1 GHz = 1,000,000,000 Hz • 5 mm = 0.005 m
Binary Prefixes (Computing)
IEC Standard
Tebi (Ti) = 2⁴⁰ • Gibi (Gi) = 2³⁰ • Mebi (Mi) = 2²⁰ • Kibi (Ki) = 2¹⁰
Traditional Computing
TB = 2⁴⁰ bytes • GB = 2³⁰ bytes • MB = 2²⁰ bytes • KB = 2¹⁰ bytes
Memory Examples
1 GiB = 1,073,741,824 bytes • 1 GB = 1,000,000,000 bytes
About Unit Prefixes
Unit prefixes are used to express very large or very small quantities by multiplying the base unit by powers of 10 (SI prefixes) or powers of 2 (binary prefixes). This converter handles both decimal and binary prefix systems commonly used in science and computing.
Applications
- • Scientific notation conversion
- • Engineering calculations
- • Computer memory sizing
- • Data storage calculations
- • Network bandwidth measurements
- • Electronic component values
Prefix Categories
- • Yotta (Y): 10²⁴ (septillion)
- • Zetta (Z): 10²¹ (sextillion)
- • Exa (E): 10¹⁸ (quintillion)
- • Peta (P): 10¹⁵ (quadrillion)
- • Femto (f): 10⁻¹⁵ (quadrillionth)
- • Atto (a): 10⁻¹⁸ (quintillionth)
Real-World Examples
- • Petabyte (PB): Large data centers
- • Terahertz (THz): Electromagnetic radiation
- • Gigawatt (GW): Power plant capacity
- • Nanometer (nm): Semiconductor processes
- • Picosecond (ps): Light travel time
- • Femtometer (fm): Nuclear physics
Usage Guidelines
- • Use SI prefixes for scientific measurements
- • Use binary prefixes (IEC) for computer memory
- • Avoid mixing decimal and binary interpretations
- • Consider context when choosing prefixes
- • Use consistent notation in calculations
- • Be aware of legacy computing conventions
SI vs Binary Prefixes
SI prefixes use powers of 10 (1000) and are standard in science and engineering.Binary prefixes use powers of 2 (1024) and are used in computing for memory and storage. The difference becomes significant at larger scales: 1 GB = 1,000,000,000 bytes (decimal) vs 1 GiB = 1,073,741,824 bytes (binary).