Dimensions, SI Units, and Prefixes of SI Units

David Nyirenda

Malawi University of Science and Technology

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and Technology)
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 Introduction

Understanding dimensions, SI units, and prefixes of SI units is

fundamental in scientific and engineering disciplines.
This presentation will cover the basic concepts and provide examples.

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 Dimensions

Dimensions represent the physical quantities being measured.

Common dimensions include length, mass, time, electric current,
temperature, amount of substance, and luminous intensity.
Dimensions are often represented by symbols, e.g., L for length, M for
mass, T for time.

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 Base and Derived Quantities

Base quantities are independent quantities that cannot be defined in

terms of other quantities.
Derived quantities are quantities that are defined in terms of base
quantities.
Examples of base quantities include length, mass, time, electric
current, temperature, amount of substance, and luminous intensity.
Examples of derived quantities include velocity (derived from length
and time), density (derived from mass and volume), and acceleration
(derived from velocity and time).

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and Technology)
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 SI Units

The International System of Units (SI) is the modern form of the

metric system.
SI units are used as the standard for measurement in science,
industry, and everyday life.
Examples of SI units include meter (m) for length, kilogram (kg) for
mass, second (s) for time, ampere (A) for electric current, kelvin (K)
for temperature, mole (mol) for amount of substance, and candela
(cd) for luminous intensity.

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 Prefixes of SI Units (Positive Powers)

Prefix Symbol Multiplier

deca da 101
hecto h 102
kilo k 103
mega M 106
giga G 109
tera T 1012
peta P 1015
exa E 1018
zetta Z 1021
yotta Y 1024
Table: Prefixes of SI Units (Positive Powers)

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 Prefixes of SI Units (Negative Powers)

Prefix Symbol Multiplier

yocto y 10−24
zepto z 10−21
atto a 10−18
femto f 10−15
pico p 10−12
nano n 10−9
micro µ 10−6
milli m 10−3
centi c 10−2
deci d 10−1
Table: Prefixes of SI Units (Negative Powers)

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 Conclusion

Understanding dimensions, SI units, and prefixes of SI units is crucial

in scientific and engineering fields.
Remembering common prefixes can simplify calculations and make
measurements more manageable.
Practice using SI units and prefixes to become proficient in their
application.

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and Technology)
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