Which prefix is equivalent to 10⁻¹²?

Study for the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT). Test your chemistry skills with multiple-choice questions, each providing hints and explanations. Get exam ready!

The prefix that is equivalent to 10⁻¹² is pico. In the International System of Units (SI), the prefix pico denotes one trillionth of a unit, which corresponds to 0.000000000001 or 10⁻¹².

This is an important prefix in scientific fields because it allows for the convenient expression of very small quantities. For example, a picometer is one trillionth of a meter, which is frequently used in fields such as physics and chemistry to describe atomic and molecular scales.

On the other hand, the other prefixes listed represent different orders of magnitude:

  • Nano corresponds to 10⁻⁹, indicating one billionth.
  • Micro corresponds to 10⁻⁶, which means one millionth.
  • The term "dece" is not a recognized SI prefix.

Understanding these prefixes and their numerical values is essential for converting between different scales in scientific measurements.

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