Final answer:
The symbols for the length units are mm for millimeter, μm for micrometer, cm for centimeter, km for kilometer, m for meter, and nm for nanometer, each representing different factors of ten relative to the meter.
Step-by-step explanation:
The symbols for the given units of length, all relative to the base unit of the meter (m), are:
- (a) millimeter - mm (1 mm = 10-3 m)
- (b) micrometer - μm (1 μm = 10-6 m)
- (c) centimeter - cm (1 cm = 10-2 m)
- (d) kilometer - km (1 km = 103 m)
- (e) meter - m
- (f) nanometer - nm (1 nm = 10-9 m)
Understanding these metric prefixes and symbols is important as they appear frequently in scientific measurements, especially in chemistry. Knowing how they relate to the base unit, the meter, allows for quick and accurate conversions and understanding of differing scales of measurement.