Yotta is the largest decimal unit prefix in the metric system, denoting a factor of 1024 (1000000000000000000000000), or one septillion. It has the symbol Y. The prefix name is derived from the Latin octo[1] or the Ancient Greek ὀκτώ (oktṓ), meaning eight, because it is equal to 10008. It was added as an SI prefix to the International System of Units (SI) in 1991.[2]
Usage examples
- The mass of the Earth is 5,972.6 yottagrams (2.1068×1026 oz).[3]
- The mass of the oceans is about 1.4 yottagrams (4.9×1022 oz).[4]
- The total power output of the Sun is approximately 385 yottawatts (5.16×1023 hp).[5]
- The observable universe is estimated to be 880 yottametres (5.5×1023 mi) in diameter.[6]
- One yottabyte (YB) is a unit of digital information or information storage capacity for one septillion bytes or 1000 zettabytes. The yobibyte (YiB) is a related unit that uses a binary prefix and means 10248 bytes, which is approximately 1.2 septillion bytes.
Prefix | Base 10 | Decimal | English word | Adoption[nb 1] | Etymology | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Name | Symbol | Short scale | Long scale | Language | Source word | |||
yotta | Y | 1024 | 1000000000000000000000000 | septillion | quadrillion | 1991 | Latin | eight[nb 2] |
zetta | Z | 1021 | 1000000000000000000000 | sextillion | trilliard | 1991 | Latin | seven[nb 2] |
exa | E | 1018 | 1000000000000000000 | quintillion | trillion | 1975 | Greek | six |
peta | P | 1015 | 1000000000000000 | quadrillion | billiard | 1975 | Greek | five[nb 2] |
tera | T | 1012 | 1000000000000 | trillion | billion | 1960 | Greek | four,[nb 2] monster |
giga | G | 109 | 1000000000 | billion | milliard | 1960 | Greek | giant |
mega | M | 106 | 1000000 | million | 1873 | Greek | great | |
kilo | k | 103 | 1000 | thousand | 1795 | Greek | thousand | |
hecto | h | 102 | 100 | hundred | 1795 | Greek | hundred | |
deca | da | 101 | 10 | ten | 1795 | Greek | ten | |
100 | 1 | one | – | |||||
deci | d | 10−1 | 0.1 | tenth | 1795 | Latin | ten | |
centi | c | 10−2 | 0.01 | hundredth | 1795 | Latin | hundred | |
milli | m | 10−3 | 0.001 | thousandth | 1795 | Latin | thousand | |
micro | μ | 10−6 | 0.000001 | millionth | 1873 | Greek | small | |
nano | n | 10−9 | 0.000000001 | billionth | milliardth | 1960 | Greek | dwarf |
pico | p | 10−12 | 0.000000000001 | trillionth | billionth | 1960 | Spanish | peak, a little bit |
femto | f | 10−15 | 0.000000000000001 | quadrillionth | billiardth | 1964 | Danish | fifteen, Fermi[nb 3] |
atto | a | 10−18 | 0.000000000000000001 | quintillionth | trillionth | 1964 | Danish | eighteen |
zepto | z | 10−21 | 0.000000000000000000001 | sextillionth | trilliardth | 1991 | Latin | seven[nb 2] |
yocto | y | 10−24 | 0.000000000000000000000001 | septillionth | quadrillionth | 1991 | Latin | eight[nb 2] |
|
See also
References
- ^ Proceedings of the 19th CGPM (1991), page 80. Retrieved 2022-02-16
- ^ "Resolution 4 of the 19th CGPM (Conférence Générale des Poids et Mesures)". BIPM (Bureau International des Poids et Mesures).
- ^ Williams, David R. "Earth fact sheet". Earth fact sheet. NASA. Retrieved 31 October 2015.
- ^ Kennish, Michael J. (2001). Practical handbook of marine science. Marine science series (3rd ed.). CRC Press. p. 35. ISBN 0-8493-2391-6.
- ^ "WolframAlpha: the Sun's total power output in yottawatts".
- ^ "WolframAlpha: size of universe in yottameters".