Mega

Mega (symbol M) is a SI prefix in the SI system of units denoting a factor of 10⁶, i.e. one million; 1 000 000.

Confirmed in 1960, it comes from the Greek μέγας, meaning great.

For example, 1 MW (megawatt) = 1 000 000 watts = 1 000 kilowatts.

Table of contents

1 Other common examples of usage 2 Computing 3 See also 4 External links 5 Other uses for the word Mega

Other common examples of usage

• one megaton [of TNT] (a unit often used in measuring the explosive power of nuclear weapons) is 1 000 000 tTNT.
• Megahertz - frequency of electromagnetic radiation for radio and televion broadcasting, GSM, etc. 1 MHz = 1 000 000 Hz

Computing

In computing, mega can sometimes denote 1 048 576 (2²⁰) of information units (example: a megabyte, a megaword), but can denote 1 000 000 (10⁶) of other quantities, for example, transfer rates: 1 megabit/s = 1 000 000 bit/s.

The prefix mebi has been suggested as an alternative for 2²⁰ to avoid ambiguity, but is yet to be widely used.

SI prefixes

10n	Prefix	Symbol	Short scale	Long scale Name	Decimal Equivalent
1024	yotta	Y	Septillion	Quadrillion	1 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000
1021	zetta	Z	Sextillion	Trilliard (thousand trillion)	1 000 000 000 000 000 000 000
1018	exa	E	Quintillion	Trillion	1 000 000 000 000 000 000
1015	peta	P	Quadrillion	Billiard (thousand billion)	1 000 000 000 000 000
1012	tera	T	Trillion	Billion	1 000 000 000 000
109	giga	G	Billion	Milliard (thousand million)	1 000 000 000
106	mega	M	Million		1 000 000
103	kilo	k	Thousand		1 000
102	hecto	h	Hundred		100
101	deca, deka	da	Ten		10
10−1	deci	d	Tenth		0.1
10−2	centi	c	Hundredth		0.01
10−3	milli	m	Thousandth		0.001
10−6	micro	µ	Millionth		0.000 001
10−9	nano	n	Billionth	Milliardth	0.000 000 001
10−12	pico	p	Trillionth	Billionth	0.000 000 000 001
10−15	femto	f	Quadrillionth	Billiardth	0.000 000 000 000 001
10−18	atto	a	Quintillionth	Trillionth	0.000 000 000 000 000 001
10−21	zepto	z	Sextillionth	Trilliardth	0.000 000 000 000 000 000 001
10−24	yocto	y	Septillionth	Quadrillionth	0.000 000 000 000 000 000 000 001
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See also

• SI prefix
• Binary prefix
• Mebibyte

External links

• BIPM website

Other uses for the word Mega

• The prefix "mega-" (or "megalo-") also means "large", coming from a Greek word with that exact meaning. An example of a word with "mega" meaning large is Megalosaurus.
• La Mega is a station in Panama and is on 98.5 FM
• Mega is also the name of a town in Ethiopia
• Mega Channel is also the Greek language terrestrial station of Greece and Cyprus.
• Mega is also a short name for the Chilean TV channel "Red Televisiva Megavisión".

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