Prefixes for Powers of 10 · Physics Reference Tables (2025 Edition)
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The Prefixes for Powers of 10 table from the Reference Tables for Physical Science: Physics (2025 Edition) gives the ten metric prefixes used on the exam with their symbols and powers of ten. It is needed whenever a quantity in a question is given with a prefix that the equation's units do not use: gigahertz and megahertz frequencies on The Electromagnetic Spectrum (Physics) and in HS-PS4-1 and HS-PS4-5, nanometer wavelengths, kilometers and centimeters in motion problems, kilowatts and milliamperes in circuits.
| Prefix | Symbol | Notation |
|---|---|---|
| tera | T | 1012 |
| giga | G | 109 |
| mega | M | 106 |
| kilo | k | 103 |
| deci | d | 10−1 |
| centi | c | 10−2 |
| milli | m | 10−3 |
| micro | μ | 10−6 |
| nano | n | 10−9 |
| pico | p | 10−12 |
What the prefixes table shows
A prefix multiplies the unit it is attached to by the power of ten in the table: 1 GHz = 109 Hz, 1 km = 103 m, 1 cm = 10−2 m, 1 mA = 10−3 A, 1 nm = 10−9 m. The list is the same as in the 2006 edition of the physics reference tables; the chemistry reference tables keep only four of these prefixes.
Regents Exam Questions
Released Regents questions that cannot be answered without this table, listed by exam. Each link opens the question with its answer key; the standard is the one the question assesses.
No released question has needed this table yet.