Final answer:
To convert grams to milligrams, a nurse would multiply the amount by 1000 or move the decimal point three places to the right, which reflects the factor of 1000 milligrams per gram.
Step-by-step explanation:
When a nurse is converting grams to milligrams, the process involves moving the decimal point. Since there are 1000 milligrams in a gram, converting grams to milligrams requires multiplying by 1000, or equivalently, moving the decimal point three places to the right.
It is essential to understand the notion of metric prefixes when performing conversions between metric units. The base unit for mass is grams, and the prefix 'milli' indicates a thousandth of that unit. Therefore, converting from the base unit (grams) to a smaller unit (milligrams) involves a factor of 1000.
To illustrate further, if converting 2.77 kilograms to milligrams, one would first convert kilograms to grams by moving the decimal three places to the right, achieving 2770 grams, and then convert grams to milligrams by moving the decimal point another three places to the right, resulting in 2,770,000 milligrams.