Use appropriate metric prefixes to write the following measurements without use of exponents: g. 5.1×10² cm

Key Concepts

Metric Prefixes

Metric prefixes are standardized terms used to denote specific powers of ten in the metric system. They simplify the representation of large or small quantities by providing a shorthand way to express these values. For example, 'centi-' represents one-hundredth (10^-2), so 5.1×10^2 cm can be expressed as 5.1 m when converted to meters.

Scientific Notation

Scientific notation is a method of expressing numbers as a product of a coefficient and a power of ten. It is particularly useful for handling very large or very small numbers. In the given measurement, 5.1×10^2 cm indicates that the value is 5.1 multiplied by 100, which equals 510 cm, and can be converted to a more manageable metric prefix.

Unit Conversion

Unit conversion involves changing a measurement from one unit to another while maintaining the same quantity. In this case, converting centimeters to meters requires knowing the relationship between these units, specifically that 1 m equals 100 cm. Thus, to convert 510 cm to meters, you divide by 100, resulting in 5.1 m.