For the first time in more than thirty years, scientists have designated new prefixes that can be applied to units of measure within the metric system. This way insiders will be able to quantify the biggest (and smallest) things in our universe.
The prefixes were voted on by scientists at the 27th meeting of the General Conference on Weights and Measures (GCWM), held November 15-18 at the Palace of Versailles in Paris. The latter can be applied to any of the seven base units in the metric system: grams, meters, seconds, ampere, kelvin, mole and candela.
For you to understand better, a Ronna, with the symbol R, will be the prefix used to describe numbers where the first digit is followed by 27 zeros. While Quetta or Q will describe numbers where the first digit is followed by 30 zeros. Likewise, but in reverse, the prefix hummed will be used, with the symbol r, to refer to numbers in which there are 27 zeros before the decimal point, while this or q, for those in which the zeros preceding the decimal point are 30.
We imagine your confusion now, but fortunately these new additions will only be used by scientists (for the most part) because very useful for quantum science and particle physics… but also for incredibly big stuff! Now the Earth weighs about 6 ronnagrams, while Jupiter weighs about 2 quettagrams.
By the way, did you know that the weight of our planet is always changing?
