The metric prefix micro (µ) represents a factor of _____.
Answer
10^-6
Explanation
### Why this is right
Micro (µ) represents $10^{-6}$, which is one millionth of the base unit. For example, a micrometre is one millionth of a metre.
### The concept
Prefixes scale a unit by a power of ten, making very small or very large measurements easier to write. In biological science, micro-, nano-, and pico-scales are common because molecular and cellular structures can be much smaller than everyday objects. Nano (n) is $10^{-9}$, and pico (p) is $10^{-12}$.
### Terms
- **Metric prefix**: a symbol placed before a unit to show a power-of-ten factor.
- **Micro (µ)**: a prefix meaning $10^{-6}$.
- **Nano (n)**: a prefix meaning $10^{-9}$.
- **Pico (p)**: a prefix meaning $10^{-12}$.
### Remember
Each step from micro to nano to pico is a factor of one thousand smaller.
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