Calculator guide
Scale a value between the nine selectable decimal prefixes: pico, nano, micro, milli, base, kilo, mega, giga and tera. The picker is a subset of official SI prefixes, not a full prefix converter.
Formula or method
Output = input × 10^(source exponent − destination exponent). The offered exponents are pico −12, nano −9, micro −6, milli −3, base 0, kilo 3, mega 6, giga 9 and tera 12.
How to use this calculator
- Enter the value to scale. The initial value is 1.
- Choose From prefix and To prefix from pico (p), nano (n), micro (µ), milli (m), base, kilo (k), mega (M), giga (G) or tera (T).
- Read the power-of-ten Scale factor and Converted value. The quantity itself is unchanged.
Worked example
Choose kilo (k) → milli (m) and enter 2. The scale factor is 10^(3 − (−3)) = 10⁶, so the converted value is 2,000,000 milli-units.
Understanding the result
The exact choices are pico (p, 10⁻¹²), nano (n, 10⁻⁹), micro (µ, 10⁻⁶), milli (m, 10⁻³), base (10⁰), kilo (k, 10³), mega (M, 10⁶), giga (G, 10⁹) and tera (T, 10¹²). Prefix symbols are case-sensitive: m is milli and M is mega.
Limitations and assumptions
- The control offers only the nine listed steps, not every currently recognized SI prefix. Do not infer that unlisted prefixes can be selected.
- SI prefixes are decimal powers of ten. Binary prefixes such as Ki are not available, and no unit or physical quantity is selected or checked.
- This is arithmetic scaling only; attach the same underlying unit to both values and check the displayed power-of-ten factor.
Frequently asked questions
Does the picker include all official SI prefixes?
No. It offers only pico through tera at the listed steps; several official prefixes and intermediate decimal prefixes are not selectable.
What is the difference between m and M?
The lowercase m is milli (10⁻³); uppercase M is mega (10⁶).
Are Ki and k equivalent?
No. k is the decimal SI prefix kilo (1,000); Ki is the binary prefix kibi (1,024), which this tool does not offer.
Sources
Educational and planning information only. Sources are attributed background or formula references, not endorsements. Verify consequential decisions with an appropriate qualified professional.