How does a metric prefix modify a unit?

Answer:Locate the row corresponding to known unit of torque along the left of the table. Multiply by the factor under the column for the desired units. For example, to convert 2 oz-in torque to n-m, locate oz-in row at table left. Locate 7.062 x 10-3 at intersection of desired n-m units column. Multiply 2 oz-in x (7.062 x 10-3) = 14.12 x 10-3 n-m.

Converting between units is easy if you have a set of equivalencies to work with. Suppose we wanted to convert an energy quantity of 2500 calories into watt-hours. What we would need to do is find a set of equivalent figures for those units. In our reference here, we see that 251.996 calories is physically equal to 0.293071 watt hour. To convert from calories into watt-hours, we must form a "unity fraction" with these physically equal figures (a fraction composed of different figures and different units, the numerator and denominator being physically equal to one another), placing the desired unit in the numerator and the initial unit in the denominator, and then multiply our initial value of calories by that fraction.

Explanation:

Since both terms of the "unity fraction" are physically equal to one another, the fraction as a whole has a physical value of 1, and so does not change the true value of any figure when multiplied by it. When units are canceled, however, there will be a change in units. For example, 2500 calories multiplied by the unity fraction of (0.293071 w-hr / 251.996 cal) = 2.9075 watt-hours.