The SI prefix for 10^15 is which of the following?

The SI prefix for 10^15 is which of the following?

• A. Giga
• B. Mega
• C. Peta
• D. Kilo

Answer: (C)

Understanding SI prefixes with powers of ten is key. For 10^15, the prefix is peta-. Peta- designates a quadrillionth-of-a-thousand, i.e., 1 with 15 zeros. In practical terms, a petabyte equals 10^15 bytes, and a petawatt equals 10^15 watts. This prefix sits between tera (10^12) and exa (10^18). The other common prefixes represent smaller scales: kilo is 10^3, mega is 10^6, and giga is 10^9, so they don’t match the 10^15 scale.

Understanding SI prefixes with powers of ten is key. For 10^15, the prefix is peta-. Peta- designates a quadrillionth-of-a-thousand, i.e., 1 with 15 zeros. In practical terms, a petabyte equals 10^15 bytes, and a petawatt equals 10^15 watts. This prefix sits between tera (10^12) and exa (10^18). The other common prefixes represent smaller scales: kilo is 10^3, mega is 10^6, and giga is 10^9, so they don’t match the 10^15 scale.