Deca
Encyclopedia
Deca- or deka- is a prefix
in the metric system
, also a numerical prefix
, denoting a factor of ten. The term is derived from the Greek
δέκα meaning "ten". Its symbol is the only SI prefix
that uses more than one character.
The prefix was a part of the original metric system in 1795. It is not in very common usage, although the decapascal is occasionally used by audiologists. The decanewton is also encountered occasionally, probably because it is an SI approximation of the kilogram-force
. It is more commonly used in other languages: in Austrian, Slovak and Hungarian, deca is common (and always means decagram).
Before the symbol was standardized as da with the introduction of the International System of Units
in 1960, various other symbols were more common, such as "dk", "D", and "Da".
SI prefix
The International System of Units specifies a set of unit prefixes known as SI prefixes or metric prefixes. An SI prefix is a name that precedes a basic unit of measure to indicate a decadic multiple or fraction of the unit. Each prefix has a unique symbol that is prepended to the unit symbol...
in the metric system
Metric system
The metric system is an international decimalised system of measurement. France was first to adopt a metric system, in 1799, and a metric system is now the official system of measurement, used in almost every country in the world...
, also a numerical prefix
Numerical prefix
Number prefixes are prefixes derived from numbers or numerals. In English and other European languages, they are used to coin numerous series of words, such as unicycle – bicycle – tricycle, dyad – triad – decade, biped – quadruped, September – October – November – December, decimal – hexadecimal,...
, denoting a factor of ten. The term is derived from the Greek
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
δέκα meaning "ten". Its symbol is the only SI prefix
SI prefix
The International System of Units specifies a set of unit prefixes known as SI prefixes or metric prefixes. An SI prefix is a name that precedes a basic unit of measure to indicate a decadic multiple or fraction of the unit. Each prefix has a unique symbol that is prepended to the unit symbol...
that uses more than one character.
The prefix was a part of the original metric system in 1795. It is not in very common usage, although the decapascal is occasionally used by audiologists. The decanewton is also encountered occasionally, probably because it is an SI approximation of the kilogram-force
Kilogram-force
A kilogram-force , or kilopond , is a gravitational metric unit of force. It is equal to the magnitude of the force exerted by one kilogram of mass in a gravitational field...
. It is more commonly used in other languages: in Austrian, Slovak and Hungarian, deca is common (and always means decagram).
Before the symbol was standardized as da with the introduction of the International System of Units
International System of Units
The International System of Units is the modern form of the metric system and is generally a system of units of measurement devised around seven base units and the convenience of the number ten. The older metric system included several groups of units...
in 1960, various other symbols were more common, such as "dk", "D", and "Da".
- 1 decametre = 10 metreMetreThe metre , symbol m, is the base unit of length in the International System of Units . Originally intended to be one ten-millionth of the distance from the Earth's equator to the North Pole , its definition has been periodically refined to reflect growing knowledge of metrology...
s - 1 decalitre = 10 litres
- 1 decare = 10 areAREAre, ARE or Åre may refer to: United Arab Emirates using ISO 3166-1 alpha-3 country code*The second-person singular and plural forms of the verb "to be", copula of the English language...
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