Measurement prefixes · Mana Maths

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Learning objective overview

Master Teaching Guide coverage for this objective.

Recall the meaning of common metric prefixes (kilo-, centi-, milli-) in terms of powers of 10.
Convert between a base unit and its prefixed unit (e.g. metres to kilometres, grams to milligrams, litres to millilitres).
Identify the correct base unit and derived unit for a given measurement (length, mass, area, volume, speed).
Read a value off a scaled measuring instrument (e.g. a ruler, jug, or gauge) using the correct unit.
Calculate a derived quantity such as speed from distance and time using consistent units.
Solve real-world problems that require converting between metric units before calculating an answer.

The metric prefixes kilo–, mega–, giga–, and tera– signify a unit that is one thousand, one million, one billion, and one trillion times larger than the base unit.
The metric prefixes centi–, milli–, micro–, and nano– signify a unit one hundredth, one thousandth, one millionth, and one billionth the size of the base unit.
Derived units (e.g. cm2, km/h) reflect a relationship — a product or quotient — between two different measurements.
Derived units that reflect a relationship, e.g. cm², km/h
Fixed relationship between speed, distance and time: speed = distance / time