Metric Prefix Help - Find 2mL=200L

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the search for a metric prefix that would convert 2 mL into 200 L. Participants explore the meanings of various metric prefixes and their applications, while also addressing the validity of certain prefixes in the context of the International System of Units (SI).

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Technical explanation
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • One participant suggests that the prefix for converting 2 mL to 200 L is 10^-5, but expresses difficulty in finding it on charts.
  • Another participant clarifies that 2 mL equals 0.002 L, indicating that the prefix 'milli' represents 1/1000 and 'hecto' represents 100 for 200 L.
  • A participant questions what the prefix for 10^-5 meters is, proposing 'centimilli' and 'decimilli' as potential prefixes before 'micro'.
  • It is noted that 10^-5 m equals 10 micrometers, and that combining prefixes like 'centimilli' and 'decimilli' is not allowed in SI.
  • Some participants reference external sources to support their claims about metric prefixes, including a link to a Berkeley resource and a BIPM document.
  • There is a discussion about the validity of the Berkeley table of prefixes, with some participants labeling it as unorthodox and not universally accepted.
  • Concerns are raised about the potential confusion caused by non-standard prefixes and the implications of teaching them in educational contexts.
  • Participants emphasize the distinction between SI and metric, noting that while the hectare is a metric unit, it is not part of SI.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants do not reach a consensus on the validity of certain prefixes or the interpretation of the original question. Multiple competing views on the use of prefixes and their acceptance in SI remain evident throughout the discussion.

Contextual Notes

Some participants express uncertainty about the original poster's intent regarding the use of the term 'metric' and its significance in the context of SI units. The discussion highlights the limitations and potential confusion surrounding the use of combined prefixes.

Nerdydude101
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I keep trying to find a certain metric prefix but i can't seem to find it, i need to know what prefix makes 2mL into 200_L i believe it is 10^-5 but i can't find that on any charts. Any help is much appreciated!
 
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Nerdydude101 said:
I keep trying to find a certain metric prefix but i can't seem to find it, i need to know what prefix makes 2mL into 200_L i believe it is 10^-5 but i can't find that on any charts. Any help is much appreciated!

It's not clear what you are looking for.

2 mL = 2 milliliters = 0.002 L

the prefix here is 'milli', which means 1/1000.

200 L = 2 hectoliters

the prefix here is 'hecto', which means 100.

In both cases, the base unit is the liter.

It would be meaningless to say 1 MmL, or 1 Mega-milli-liter, which would equal

10^6 * 10^(-3) = 1000 Liters
 
Basically he's asking...
If 10^-2 meters is a centimeter and 10^-3 is a millimeter then what is 10^-5 meters.
What I found is centimilli is the prefix before micro and decimilli precedes that
 
Last edited by a moderator:
They do a lot of weird things at Berkeley.

http://www.bipm.org/utils/common/pdf/si_brochure_8_en.pdf

On p. 122 of the document above, compound prefixes are expressly prohibited.

I looked at your link but could not find the table reproduced in Post #5. Perhaps someone hacked the page, which has now been fixed.
 
That prefix doesn't exist. That table from Berkley is unorthodox.
 
I went to the page but didn't see any of the unorthodox prefixes.
 
That's because the table is given here: http://chemistry.berkeley.edu/links/weights/metric.php

(Not that I am saying it is correct, just clarifying what the chrisbradysr was talking about).
 
Last edited by a moderator:
  • #10
It just goes to show that anyone can post anything on the Internet.

Anywho, we should be past appeals to authority in this case. Combined prefixes are not allowed in SI, period, and Berkeley is doing their students a disservice when teaching them SI with unconventional prefixes, IMO.
 
  • #11
I just simply gave a prefix for what he asked. I never said it was universally accepted. Which is why below I said "for what ever it's worth"
 
  • #12
chrisbradysr said:
I just simply gave a prefix for what he asked. I never said it was universally accepted. Which is why below I said "for what ever it's worth"

That's why at PF we like to point out these things in our replies, because there are some members who, as students, may not realize that something is not universally accepted. On occasion, we get people trying to disseminate certain ideas (like perpetual motion) and other crackpottery, which is against forum rules.

Now, I can't say what passes for science in the august halls of Berkeley, but I am surprised that such clearly non-standard applications of the SI unit convention are apparently so current that they have crept into the website of the Chemistry Department there.
 
  • #13
Well, they ( Berkeley ) do say it is metric, with no mention of it being as accepted SI.

The pdf, though, continues to also say that cc is not the accepted way to write a unit of volume, but that has been around for ages.

I guess their ( the pdf ) main concern is to have anything written to be void of confusion. Is a centimilli necessary. It is confusing just by looking at it.
 
  • #14
SI and metric are two different things (for example, the hectare is metric but is not SI), and the author did specify "metric".
 
  • #15
Vanadium 50 said:
SI and metric are two different things (for example, the hectare is metric but is not SI), and the author did specify "metric".

IIRC, the OP wanted to know what 'prefix' made 2 mL into 200_L, whatever that means, so it's not clear if that distinction is significant to the poster.
 

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