The advantage of using multiples and submultiples of the gram is that they allow you to write very large or very small quantities in a shorter and easier to understand way.
If you want to know about the multiples and submultiples of the gram it is necessary to understand the words "multiple", "submultiple" and "gram".
Multiples and Submultiples of the Gram
The key with these three words is understanding what each one is used for. This is important because by understanding their uses, we can apply them to other units of measure.
Gram
The gram is the main unit of mass measurement, which is denoted by g., And is used to measure the weight of objects.
What other units of measurement are there?
To measure the mass of an object the unit is the gram, to measure lengths the meter is used as the unit of measurement, to measure temperatures degrees Celsius are used, to measure time the seconds are used as the unit of measure.
In addition to the units of measurement mentioned above, there are many more. For example, there are places where, instead of measuring temperatures in degrees Celsius, degrees Kelvin or Fahrenheit is used as the unit of measurement.
Gram multiples
When we talk about the multiples of a unit of measure we are talking about multiplying that unit by 10, by 100 and by 1,000. Each of these multiples adds a prefix to the unit of measure.
The prefix to add to the unit of measure when it is multiplied by 10 is deca and the notation is "da".
When multiplying by 100, the prefix hecto is added, whose notation is "h". And when multiplied by 1,000 the prefix is kilo and its notation is "k".
For example, if the unit of measurement is the gram, then its multiples are:
- 10 g. (10 grams) is equivalent to 1 dag. (1 decagram).
- 100 g. (100 grams) is equivalent to 1 hg. (1 hectogram).
- 1000 g. (1000 grams) is equivalent to 1 kg. (1 kilogram).
Another multiple of the gram that is widely used is the ton, which is equivalent to multiplying by 1,000,000, and is denoted by the letter "t" or "T" (it can even be denoted by "Tn"). That is, 1,000,000 g. is equivalent to 1 Tn.
In addition to the multiples listed above, there are two more multiples that are not used regularly: the myriagram (10,000 grams) and the quintal (100,000 grams).
Submultiples of the gram
As mentioned in the multiples of the gram, when it comes to submultiples, what is done is to divide the unit of measurement between 10, 100 and 1,000, and each of these divisions also adds a prefix to the unit of measurement.
The prefixes when dividing by 10, 100, and 1,000 are deci, centi, and milli, respectively. Also, the notations used for submultiples are "d", "c", and "m", respectively.
Thus, for example, if the unit of measurement is the gram, then its submultiples are:
- 0.1 g. is equivalent to 1 dg. (1 decigram).
- 0.01 g. is equivalent to 1 cg. (1 centigram).
- 0.001 g. is equivalent to 1 mg. (1 milligram).
All the notations and prefixes used for multiples and submultiples described above can be applied to different units of measure.
That is, if you want to measure a distance and use meters as the unit of measurement, then a multiple can be 1 kilometer (1 km), which is equivalent to 1,000 meters (1,000 m); and a submultiple can be 1 centimeter (1 cm) which is equivalent to 0.01 meter (0.01 m).
It should also be noted that there are conversion rules that allow you to transform one unit of measure into another. For example, go from seconds to hours or from degrees Celsius to degrees Kelvin.
References
- García, FJ, & Martín, R. (2015). Mathematics 1st ESO (LOMCE) - Quarterly. Editex.
- Mann, H., & Chase, PE (1895). Grammar-school Arithmetic. Philadelphia: EH Butler & Co.
- Tambutti. (2002). Physics / Physics. Editorial Limusa.
- Víquez, M., Arias, R., & Araya, JA (2000). Mathematics (fifth year). EUNED.
- Víquez, M., Arias, R., & Araya, JA (sf). Mathematics (fourth year). EUNED.