Mega
From Biocrawler, the free encyclopedia.
Mega (symbol M) is a SI prefix in the SI system of units denoting a factor of 106, i.e. one million; 1 000 000.
Confirmed in 1960, it comes from the Greek μέγας, meaning great.
For example, 1 MW (megawatt) = 1 000 000 watts = 1 000 kilowatts.
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Other common examples of usage
- one megaton [of TNT] (a unit often used in measuring the explosive power of nuclear weapons) is 1 000 000 tTNT.
- Megahertz - frequency of electromagnetic radiation for radio and televion broadcasting, GSM, etc. 1 MHz = 1 000 000 Hz
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Computing
In computing, mega can sometimes denote 1 048 576 (220) of information units (example: a megabyte, a megaword), but can denote 1 000 000 (106) of other quantities, for example, transfer rates: 1 megabit/s = 1 000 000 bit/s.
The prefix mebi has been suggested as an alternative for 220 to avoid ambiguity, but is yet to be widely used.
| 10n | Prefix | Symbol | Short scale | Long scale | Decimal Equivalent |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1024 | yotta | Y | Septillion | Quadrillion | 1 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 |
| 1021 | zetta | Z | Sextillion | Trilliard (thousand trillion) | 1 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 |
| 1018 | exa | E | Quintillion | Trillion | 1 000 000 000 000 000 000 |
| 1015 | peta | P | Quadrillion | Billiard (thousand billion) | 1 000 000 000 000 000 |
| 1012 | tera | T | Trillion | Billion | 1 000 000 000 000 |
| 109 | giga | G | Billion | Milliard (thousand million) | 1 000 000 000 |
| 106 | mega | M | Million | 1 000 000 | |
| 103 | kilo | k | Thousand | 1 000 | |
| 102 | hecto | h | Hundred | 100 | |
| 101 | deca, deka | da | Ten | 10 | |
| 100 | none | none | One | 1 | |
| 10−1 | deci | d | Tenth | 0.1 | |
| 10−2 | centi | c | Hundredth | 0.01 | |
| 10−3 | milli | m | Thousandth | 0.001 | |
| 10−6 | micro | µ | Millionth | 0.000 001 | |
| 10−9 | nano | n | Billionth | Milliardth | 0.000 000 001 |
| 10−12 | pico | p | Trillionth | Billionth | 0.000 000 000 001 |
| 10−15 | femto | f | Quadrillionth | Billiardth | 0.000 000 000 000 001 |
| 10−18 | atto | a | Quintillionth | Trillionth | 0.000 000 000 000 000 001 |
| 10−21 | zepto | z | Sextillionth | Trilliardth | 0.000 000 000 000 000 000 001 |
| 10−24 | yocto | y | Septillionth | Quadrillionth | 0.000 000 000 000 000 000 000 001 |
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See also
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External links
- BIPM website (http://www.bipm.org)
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Other uses for the word Mega
- The prefix "mega-" (or "megalo-") also means "large", coming from a Greek word with that exact meaning. An example of a word with "mega" meaning large is Megalosaurus.
- La Mega is a station in Panama and is on 98.5 FM
- Mega is also the name of a town in Ethiopia
- Mega Channel is also the Greek language terrestrial station of Greece and Cyprus.
- Mega is also a short name for the Chilean TV channel "Red Televisiva Megavisión".ca:Mega
da:Megaes:Mega fr:Méga it:Mega ja:メガ nl:Mega no:Mega pl:Mega pt:Mega sl:Mega fi:Mega sv:Mega vi:Mêga
