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Deci-


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Deci- (symbol d) is a decimal unit prefix in the metric system denoting a factor of one tenth. Proposed in 1793[1] and adopted in 1795, the prefix comes from the Latin decimus, meaning "tenth". Since 1960, the prefix is part of the International System of Units (SI).[2][3] Its most frequent use, however, is in a non-SI unit, the decibel, used to measure sound intensity (relative to a reference) and many other ratios.

Deciliter or dl is common in recipes. Many European homes have a deciliter measure for flour, water etc.

Example:

  • A compact disc is about 12 centimeters or 1.2 decimeters.[4]
Prefix Base 10 Decimal English word Adoption[nb 1]
Name Symbol Short scale Long scale
yotta- Y- 1024 1000000000000000000000000  septillion  quadrillion 1991
zetta- Z- 1021 1000000000000000000000  sextillion  trilliard 1991
exa- E- 1018 1000000000000000000  quintillion  trillion 1975
peta- P- 1015 1000000000000000  quadrillion  billiard 1975
tera- T- 1012 1000000000000  trillion  billion 1960
giga- G- 109 1000000000  billion  milliard 1960
mega- M- 106 1000000  million 1873
kilo- k- 103 1000  thousand 1795
hecto- h- 102 100  hundred 1795
deca- da- 101 10  ten 1795
100 1  one –
deci- d- 10−1 0.1  tenth 1795
centi- c- 10−2 0.01  hundredth 1795
milli- m- 10−3 0.001  thousandth 1795
micro- μ- 10−6 0.000001  millionth 1873
nano- n- 10−9 0.000000001  billionth  milliardth 1960
pico- p- 10−12 0.000000000001  trillionth  billionth 1960
femto- f- 10−15 0.000000000000001  quadrillionth  billiardth 1964
atto- a- 10−18 0.000000000000000001  quintillionth  trillionth 1964
zepto- z- 10−21 0.000000000000000000001  sextillionth  trilliardth 1991
yocto- y- 10−24 0.000000000000000000000001  septillionth  quadrillionth 1991
  1. ^ Prefixes adopted before 1960 already existed before SI. The introduction of the CGS system was in 1873.

References

  1. ^ Commission temporaire de Poids & Mesures rêpublicaines, En exécution des Décrets de la Convention Nationale (1793). Instruction abrégée sur les mesures déduites de la grandeur de la Terre; uniformes pour toute la Rêpublique, et sur les Calculs relatifs à leur division décimale (in French) (Edition originale ed.). Paris, France: De l´imprimerie nationale exécutive du Louvre. Retrieved 2015-10-09.
  2. ^ The International System of Units (Si): The Metric System. DIANE Publishing. 1992. p. 30. ISBN 9780941375740.
  3. ^ "Resolution 12 of the 11th CGPM". BIPM. 1960. Retrieved 2020-05-14.
  4. ^ "Universcale: From the nanoworld to the universe — The worlds we measure using our infinite yardstick". Nikon. 2013. Archived from the original on 2017-02-08. Retrieved 2017-02-08.

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