The four new prefixes – ronna, quetta, ronto and quecto – describe very large and very small numbers that until now didn’t have their own names. SUBSCRIBE LOG IN ...

A metric prefix is a numerical multiplier that is placed before a basic unit of measure to indicate a specified multiple or fraction of that unit. They range from the smallest, 'yocto' (1 ...

Dr Richard Brown, Head of Metrology at the National Physical Laboratory (NPL), the UK’s national metrology institute, led the proposal recommending the new names – ronna and quetta – as SI prefixes ...

R and Q are not used for anything else, really, in terms of units or SI prefixes. [The prefix names themselves are] very, very loosely based on the Greek and Latin names for nine and 10.

Say hello to the first new SI prefixes since 1991. At the humongous end of the scale, ronna and quecca now denote 10 27 and 10 30, respectively. Apparently, the mass of the Earth is six ronnagrams, or ...

Although they will become SI prefixes with immediate effect, it might take a while for scientists to adopt them in their work. Some scientists are sceptical of whether they will be helpful at all.

The prefixes for very small numbers are useful for quantum science and particle physics. However, these can be used with any SI unit, for example in the future we can be expected to talk about ...

Since the SI was established in 1960, scientific need has led to a growing number of prefixes. The last time was in 1991, when chemists wanting to express vast molecular quantities spurred the ...