What does the prefix kilo- represent?

What does the prefix kilo- represent?

• A. 1,000
• B. 0.001
• C. 1
• D. 100

Answer: (A)

Kilo- multiplies a unit by 1,000. In the metric system, prefixes attach to base units to scale them up or down, so kilo- makes the unit three orders of magnitude larger. For example, a kilometer is 1,000 meters and a kilogram is 1,000 grams. So the value associated with kilo- is 1,000, which is why the correct choice is the one that represents 1,000. Other values correspond to different prefixes: 0.001 is milli- (10^-3), 1 is the base unit with no prefix, and 100 corresponds to hecto- (10^2).

Kilo- multiplies a unit by 1,000. In the metric system, prefixes attach to base units to scale them up or down, so kilo- makes the unit three orders of magnitude larger. For example, a kilometer is 1,000 meters and a kilogram is 1,000 grams. So the value associated with kilo- is 1,000, which is why the correct choice is the one that represents 1,000. Other values correspond to different prefixes: 0.001 is milli- (10^-3), 1 is the base unit with no prefix, and 100 corresponds to hecto- (10^2).