A Level Physics Practice Exam 2026 - Free A Level Physics Practice Questions and Study Guide

In scientific notation, "giga" represents a factor of 10 raised to the power of 9, which is denoted as 10^9. This prefix is commonly used in various fields, especially in computing and telecommunications, to express large quantities. For example, a gigabyte (GB) is commonly understood to represent 1 billion bytes.

Understanding the prefix is essential for working with large numbers in science and engineering, as it allows for a more manageable way to express and communicate these quantities. Other prefixes like "mega" represent 10^6 (one million) and "kilo" represents 10^3 (one thousand), while "tera" goes beyond giga to represent 10^12. This hierarchical structure of prefixes helps in grasping the magnitude of values quickly.