Pico-

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Pico- (symbol p) is a prefix in the metric system denoting a factor of 10−12 or 0.000000000001.

Derived from the Spanish pico, meaning peak, beak, bit,[1] this was one of the original 12 prefixes defined in 1960 when the International System of Units was established.[2]

The radius of atoms range from ~25 picometers (hydrogen) - 260 picometers (caesium).

Metric prefixes
Prefix Symbol 1000m 10n Decimal English word Since[n 1]
short scale long scale
yotta Y  10008  1024 1000000000000000000000000  septillion  quadrillion 1991
zetta Z  10007  1021 1000000000000000000000  sextillion  thousand trillion 1991
exa E  10006  1018 1000000000000000000  quintillion  trillion 1975
peta P  10005  1015 1000000000000000  quadrillion  thousand billion 1975
tera T  10004  1012 1000000000000  trillion  billion 1960
giga G  10003  109 1000000000  billion  thousand million 1960
mega M  10002  106 1000000             million 1960
kilo k  10001  103 1000             thousand 1795
hecto h  10002/3  102 100             hundred 1795
deca da  10001/3  101 10             ten 1795
 10000  100 1             one –
deci d  1000−1/3  10−1 0.1             tenth 1795
centi c  1000−2/3   10−2 0.01             hundredth 1795
milli m  1000−1  10−3 0.001             thousandth 1795
micro µ  1000−2  10−6 0.000001             millionth 1960
nano n  1000−3  10−9 0.000000001  billionth  thousand millionth 1960
pico p  1000−4  10−12 0.000000000001  trillionth  billionth 1960
femto f  1000−5  10−15 0.000000000000001  quadrillionth  thousand billionth 1964
atto a  1000−6  10−18 0.000000000000000001  quintillionth  trillionth 1964
zepto z  1000−7  10−21 0.000000000000000000001  sextillionth  thousand trillionth 1991
yocto y  1000−8  10−24  0.000000000000000000000001  septillionth  quadrillionth  1991
  1. ↑ The metric system was introduced in 1795 with six prefixes. The other dates relate to recognition by a resolution of the CGPM.

References

  1. ↑ "pico- - definition of pico- by the Free Online Dictionary, Thesaurus and Encyclopedia.". Retrieved 2013-06-25. 
  2. ↑ "Resolution 12 of the 11th CGPM". Bureau International des Poids et Mesures. 1961. Retrieved 2007-03-29. 

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