Question

27. The S.I. prefix mega- (M) means
A. 10-6
B. 10-3
C. 103
D. 106
E. 109

Answer 1

The S.I. prefix 'mega-' (M) represents a factor of 10⁶, which means it is used to denote one million times of the base unit. It is commonly used in measurements like distance (megameter) and computer memory (megabyte).

Step-by-step explanation:

The S.I. prefix mega- (M) signifies a factor of 10⁶, which means one million times larger than the base unit. Thus, it is used to denote large quantities. For example, in the case of distance, one megameter (1 Mm) is equal to one million meters (10⁶ m), and for computer memory, one megabyte (1 MB) is equivalent to one million bytes (10⁶ b).

In the language of the International System of Units (SI), a variety of prefixes are used to express quantities larger or smaller than the base units. The prefix mega is one of the more commonly used prefixes, denoted by the uppercase letter M, which should not be confused with the lowercase m for milli (10-3). It is important to use the correct case to represent the intended power of ten.