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Zetta (Z) Unit Definition
Zetta is a decimal SI unit prefix in the metric system denoting a factor of 1021 or 1000000000000000000000. It is represented by the prefix zetta or the symbol Z.
Overview
Zetta is evocative of the Latin numeral septem, meaning seven. Therefore, it was used to denote the seventh power of 1000. The prefix was added as an SI prefix to the International System of Units (SI) in 1991.
A prefix of the same value, hepta, was informally introduced a few years before the promulgation of zetta. It was formed from the Greek term hepta (ἑπτά), also meaning seven. Hepta never received official sanction and is obsolete. Zeta (ζήτα), although the 6th letter of the modern and classical Greek alphabet, denotes a value of seven (7) when used as a numeral.
Examples
The mass of Earth's atmosphere is approximately 5 zettagrams (Zg).
The volume of seawater in the Earth's oceans is approximately 1.369 zettaliters (ZL).
The Avogadro constant is 602.2 Zmol-1.
Estimates of the diameter of the Milky Way Galaxy are between 0.9 and 1.7 zettameters (Zm).
As of 2009, the entire World Wide Web was estimated to contain close to half a zettabyte (ZB). The zebibyte (ZiB) is a related unit that uses a binary prefix and means 10247 bytes (B).
SI Prefixes
Here is a table of the SI prefixes and some of their properties:
Name & Symbol |
Base 10 |
Decimal |
English Word |
Adoption |
|
Short Scale |
Long Scale |
||||
| Quetta (Q) | 1030 |
1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 |
Nonillion |
Quintillion |
2022 |
| Ronna (R) | 1027 |
1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 |
Octillion |
2022 |
|
| Yotta (Y) | 1024 |
1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 |
Septillion |
Quadrillion |
1991 |
| Zetta (Z) | 1021 |
1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 |
Sextillion |
Trilliard |
1991 |
| Exa (E) | 1018 |
1,000,000,000,000,000,000 |
Quintillion |
Trillion |
1975 |
| Peta (P) | 1015 |
1,000,000,000,000,000 |
Quadrillion |
Billiard |
1975 |
| Tera (T) | 1012 |
1,000,000,000,000 |
Trillion |
Billion |
1960 |
| Giga (G) | 109 |
1,000,000,000 |
Billion |
Milliard |
1960 |
| Mega (M) | 106 |
1,000,000 |
Million |
1873 |
|
| Kilo (k) | 103 |
1,000 |
Thousand |
1795 |
|
| Hecto (h) | 102 |
100 |
Hundred |
1795 |
|
| Deca (da) | 101 |
10 |
Ten |
1795 |
|
| One (1) | 100 |
1 |
One |
- |
|
| Deci (d) | 10-1 |
0.1 |
Tenth |
1795 |
|
| Centi (c) | 10-2 |
0.01 |
Hundredth |
1795 |
|
| Milli (m) | 10-3 |
0.001 |
Thousandth |
1795 |
|
| Micro (µ) | 10-6 |
0.000001 |
Millionth |
1873 |
|
| Nano (n) | 10-9 |
0.000000001 |
Billionth |
Milliardth |
1960 |
| Pico (p) | 10-12 |
0.000000000001 |
Trillionth |
Billionth |
1960 |
| Femto (f) | 10-15 |
0.000000000000001 |
Quadrillionth |
Billiardth |
1964 |
| Atto (a) | 10-18 |
0.000000000000000001 |
Quintillionth |
Trillionth |
1964 |
| Zepto (z) | 10-21 |
0.000000000000000000001 |
Sextillionth |
Trilliardth |
1991 |
| Yocto (y) | 10-24 |
0.000000000000000000000001 |
Septillionth |
Quadrillionth |
1991 |
| Ronto (r) | 10-27 |
0.000000000000000000000000001 |
Octillionth |
2022 |
|
| Quecto (q) | 10-30 |
0.000000000000000000000000000001 |
Nonillionth |
Quintillionth |
2022 |
Other Prefix Unit Definitions
- Atto (a)
- Centi (c)
- Deca (da)
- Deci (d)
- Deka (da)
- Exa (E)
- Exbi (Ei)
- Femto (f)
- Gibi (Gi)
- Giga (G)
- Hecto (h)
- Kibi (Ki)
- Kilo (k)
- Mebi (Mi)
- Mega (M)
- Micro (µ)
- Milli (m)
- Nano (n)
- One (1)
- Pebi (Pi)
- Peta (P)
- Pico (p)
- Qubi (Qi)
- Quecto (q)
- Quetta (Q)
- Robi (Ri)
- Ronna (R)
- Ronto (r)
- Tebi (Ti)
- Tera (T)
- Yobi (Yi)
- Yocto (y)
- Yotta (Y)
- Zebi (Zi)
- Zepto (z)
- Zetta (Z)
Convert to Another Prefix Unit
Related Definitions
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Sources
“Zetta-.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 2 Sept. 2019, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zetta-.