Meet the metric system’s latest prefixes: ronna-, quetta-, ronto- and quecto-.
Adopted November 18 on the twenty seventh General Conference on Weights and Measures in Versailles, France, ronna- and quetta- describe exceedingly massive numbers whereas ronto- and quecto- describe the exceedingly small. This is the primary time that the International System of Units, or SI, has expanded since 1991, when the prefixes zetta-, yotta-, zepto and yocto- had been added (SN: 1/16/93).
Numerically, ronna- is 1027 (that’s a digit adopted by 27 zeroes) and quetta- is 1030 (30 zeroes). Their tiny counterparts ronto- and quecto- additionally consult with 27 and 30 zeroes, however these come after a decimal level. Until now, yotta- and yocto- (24 zeros) capped off the metric system’s vary.
Science News spoke with Richard Brown, head of metrology on the National Physical Laboratory in Teddington, England, about what the newest SI growth means for science. The following dialog has been edited for readability and brevity.
SN: Why do we’d like the brand new prefixes?
Brown: The amount of information on the earth is rising exponentially. And we anticipate that to proceed to extend and possibly speed up due to quantum computing, digitalization and issues like that. At the identical time, this amount of information is beginning to get near the highest vary of the prefixes we at present use. People begin to ask what comes subsequent?
SN: Where do the prefix names come from?
Brown: About 5 years in the past, I heard a BBC podcast about these new names for portions of information. And the 2 that they talked about had been brontobyte and hellabyte. Brontobyte, I feel comes from brontosaurus being a giant dinosaur and hellabyte comes from “‘hell of a big number.”
The downside with these from a metrology perspective, or measurement perspective, is they begin with letters B and H, which already are in use for different models and prefixes. So we are able to’t have these as names. [It was clear] that we needed to do one thing official as a result of individuals had been beginning to want these prefixes. R and Q aren’t used for anything, actually, by way of models or SI prefixes. [The prefix names themselves are] very, very loosely based mostly on the Greek and Latin names for 9 and 10.
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SN: How will the prefixes be used?
Brown: The complete level of the International System of Units is it’s an accepted world system, which in the event you use, you can be understood.
When you utilize a prefix with a unit, it signifies that the quantity related to the unit adjustments. And individuals like small numbers that they will perceive. So you may specific the mass of the Earth by way of ronnagrams; it’s six ronnagrams. And equally the mass of Jupiter is 2 quettagrams. Some good examples of [small numbers] are that the mass of an electron is about one rontogram, and the mass of 1 bit of information as saved on a cell phone is round one quectogram.
I feel using an acceptable prefix makes issues extra comprehensible. And I feel we shouldn’t neglect that even when there’s not all the time a direct scientific utilization instantly, they are going to acquire traction over time.