Why is there no prefix for 10^5,10^-5 and 10^4 and 10^-4?

  • Context: High School 
  • Thread starter Thread starter ppppparker
  • Start date Start date
Click For Summary
SUMMARY

The discussion addresses the absence of standardized prefixes for the powers of ten, specifically 10^4, 10^-4, 10^5, and 10^-5. Historical terms such as "myria" for 10^4 and "dimi" for 10^-4 were utilized in France until the mid-20th century but have since fallen out of favor. The current convention employs powers of ten up to 1000, which effectively accommodates the various orders of magnitude encountered in everyday life. Additionally, terms like hectares and acres are still used for specific measurements.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of the metric system and its prefixes
  • Familiarity with powers of ten and scientific notation
  • Knowledge of historical measurement systems
  • Awareness of modern conventions in measurement terminology
NEXT STEPS
  • Research the historical usage of metric prefixes in different countries
  • Explore the implications of using non-standard prefixes in scientific communication
  • Learn about the significance of powers of ten in scientific notation
  • Investigate current measurement conventions and their applications in various fields
USEFUL FOR

Students, educators, and professionals in science, engineering, and mathematics who seek to understand measurement conventions and their historical context.

ppppparker
Messages
18
Reaction score
4
or, why was one never adopted?
 
Physics news on Phys.org
Just a convention? 10^3 a time?
 
ppppparker said:
or, why was one never adopted?
Myria for ##10^4## and dimi for ##10^{-4}## have been in use in France until the middle of the 20th century.
Today we use potentials of ##10## until ##1000## and then potentials of ##1000## which makes sense to cover the different orders we face. For everyday life we still have the small ones plus some special terms like hectares or acres.
 

Similar threads

High School Converting 1,602 ×10^−19 C to SI Unit Prefixes
  • · Replies 5 ·
Replies
5
Views
3K
Shout out to my HS Science teacher from 10 years ago
  • · Replies 2 ·
Replies
2
Views
1K
MHB Prove $10^{\dfrac{5^n -1}{4}} \Huge\vert (5^n)!$ for $Z^+$
  • · Replies 6 ·
Replies
6
Views
2K
MHB Win a $10 or $5 Prize in Tom's 4/19 Lottery Fundraiser
  • · Replies 1 ·
Replies
1
Views
2K
High School What Is the Maximum Value of \( x \) in the Equation \( 2x+y+\frac{4}{xy}=10 \)?
  • · Replies 7 ·
Replies
7
Views
2K
Why Are There Two Possible Values of x in Similar Shapes Geometry Problems?
  • · Replies 116 ·
4
Replies
116
Views
5K
How to Calculate Amplitude Decrease in Damped Harmonic Motion After 10 Cycles?
  • · Replies 3 ·
Replies
3
Views
850
High School Understanding the relationship between ratios and fractions
  • · Replies 8 ·
Replies
8
Views
2K
Announcement Moderate forum software upgrade 4/10
  • · Replies 91 ·
4
Replies
91
Views
6K
Undergrad Are There Prefixes for Decimal Places Between the Commonly Used Ones?
  • · Replies 7 ·
Replies
7
Views
4K