Metric Prefix Converter

Metric prefix converter: kilo, mega, giga, tera and friends. Free metric prefix converter with the formula shown - runs entirely in your browser, no signup.

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Last verified July 2026

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What does this converter do?

Metric prefix converter: kilo, mega, giga, tera and friends. Free metric prefix converter with the formula shown - runs entirely in your browser, no signup.

  • Every metric prefix is a power of 10, so prefix conversion is exact and never requires rounding.
Formula & evidence

How this calculator works

Reviewed 2026-09-20 · BoringToolsKit Editorial Team

Formula

Base units = value x 10^(prefix power): kilo 10^3, mega 10^6, giga 10^9, tera 10^12, peta 10^15; deci 10^-1, centi 10^-2, milli 10^-3, micro 10^-6, nano 10^-9, pico 10^-12.

Sources

Sources support the method, terminology, or planning context. Editable assumptions remain your responsibility.

Assumptions to verify

  • Inputs are treated as exact decimal values.
  • Standard (not historical or survey) unit definitions are used.
  • The calculation uses the factors at the precision shown in the formula panel; rounding beyond that is display-only and adds no accuracy.

Frequently asked questions

Do metric prefixes multiply or divide?

Multiplying prefixes (kilo, mega, giga) scale up, so 1 kilo = 1000 base units. Dividing prefixes (milli, micro, nano) scale down, so 1 milli = 0.001 base units. The exponent is positive for the first group and negative for the second.

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Cite this tool

BoringToolsKit. “Metric Prefix Converter.” boringtoolskit.com/metric-prefix-converter/ (reviewed 2026-09-20). Free to reference in articles, syllabi, and answer posts with a link.

Privacy: Inputs and results stay in this browser. Conversion runs locally in your browser; review the output before relying on it.

Worked example: 3.2 milliamps in base units

Take 3.2 mA (from = milli, power -3). The converter computes 3.2 x 10^-3 = 0.0032 amperes. The arithmetic is just a decimal point shift: milli means divide by 1,000, so 3.2 / 1000 = 0.0032.

Run the same value through the other direction to check it: 0.0032 A to milli gives 0.0032 x 10^3 = 3.2, which matches the input. A second check with a positive prefix: 4.7 km is 4.7 x 10^3 = 4,700 m, and 4,700 m back to centi is 4.7 x 10^5 = 470,000 cm. Each step is a single multiplication by 10 raised to the prefix's exponent, so prefix-to-prefix moves subtract exponents (kilo to centi is 3 - (-2) = 5 places).

Where prefix conversion breaks down in practice

The tool displays up to 4 decimal places, so 1 nano (10^-9) shows as 0 instead of 0.000000001. If the base result is smaller than 0.00005, the displayed value rounds to 0 and you should convert to a smaller prefix first, or read the base value with more precision elsewhere.

Watch the kilobyte trap: in storage, 1 kB is 1,000 bytes but 1 KiB is 1,024. A '500 GB' drive is 500 x 10^9 = 500,000,000,000 bytes, while Windows reports it as about 465.66 'GB' because it divides by 1,024 three times (500e9 / 1,024^3 = 465.66). This tool uses strict SI powers of 10, which matches drive manufacturers and physics, not binary prefixes.

Inputs are parsed with Number(), so blank fields become 0 and '5,000' (with a comma) is treated as invalid and yields 0. Enter plain numbers like 5000.