Electronic Building Blocks 1
Lab 9: Engineering Units and Metric Prefixes
Submit your answers on this sheet
Calculators are NOT to be used in this lab
Name:
The common metric prefixes (and their abbreviations) used in electronics are
shown in the table below.
Power of 10:
Metric Symbol:
Metric Prefix:
109
106
G
M
103 100 10-3
k
giga mega kilo
m
10-6
10-9
10-12
µ
n
p
milli micro nano
pico
0 | 000 | 000 | 000 . 000 | 000 | 000 | 000 | 0
Any number can be converted from one prefix to another using the table.
Write the number to be converted with the decimal point under the metric
prefix that appears with the number. The decimal point is then moved directly
under any other line and the metric prefix immediately above that line is used.
The number can also be read in engineering notation by using the power of
ten shown immediately above that line.
Example 1:
Convert 12,300,000Ω to a number with an M prefix
Power of 10:
Metric Symbol:
Metric Prefix:
109
106
G
M
103 100 10-3
k
giga mega kilo
m
10-6
10-9
10-12
µ
n
p
milli micro nano
pico
0 | 000 | 000 | 000 . 000 | 000 | 000 | 000 | 0
12
= 12
300 000 . Ω
. 3 MΩ
Example 2:
Convert 10,000pF to a number with a µ prefix
Power of 10:
Metric Symbol:
Metric Prefix:
109
106
G
M
103 100 10-3
k
m
Giga Mega kilo
10-6
10-9
10-12
µ
n
p
milli micro nano
pico
0 | 000 | 000 | 000 . 000 | 000 | 000 | 000 | 0
10
000 . pF
= . 010 µF
Part A
Using the approach described above, fill in the table below. The first line has
been completed as an example.
Number
Metric Value Power of 10
0.0829 V
82.9 mV
48,000 Hz
2,200,000 Ω
0.000 015 A
7,500 W
0.000 000 033 F
270,000 Ω
0.000 010 H
82.9 x 10-3
Part B
Convert the metric values listed in the table below to powers of 10. The first
line has been completed as an example.
Metric Value Power of 10
100 pF
100 x 10-12
12 kV
85.0 µA
50 GHz
33 kΩ
250 mV
7.8 ns
2.0 MΩ
Part C
When multiplying powers of 10, the exponents add.
Example:
kilo x kilo = 103 x 103 = 106 = Mega (e.g. 1kA x 1kΩ = 1MV)
Fill in the results in the table below:
Operands
Result
kilo x kilo
Mega
milli x milli
kilo x micro
nano x kilo
milli x Mega
When dividing powers of 10, the exponents subtract.
Example:
Mega / kilo = 106 / 103 = 103 = kilo (e.g. 1MV / 1kA = 1kΩ)
Fill in the results in the table below:
Operands
Result
Mega / kilo
kilo
micro / nano
micro / pico
pico / pico
milli / Mega
Part D
1) When multiplying powers of 10, the exponents add.
2) When dividing powers of 10, the exponents subtract.
Keeping these 2 rules in mind, do the calculations below without using a
calculator.
(a) (3 x 104) x (4 x 102) = 12 x 106
(b) (4 x 10-6) x (2 x 10-1) =
(c) (7 x 102) x (2 x 10-5) =
(d) (6 x 103) x (9 x 10-7) =
(e) (8 x 109) / (2 x 103) = 4 x 106
(f) (4 x 102) / (4 x 10-6) =
(g) (2 x 104) / (1 x 10-6) =
(h) (15 x 10-3) / (3 x 10-2) =