Which metric prefix corresponds to the factor 10^{-3}?

• A. centi
• B. nano
• C. milli
• D. micro

Answer: (C)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand that metric prefixes represent specific powers of ten, which help express very large or very small quantities in a manageable way.
2. Recall the common metric prefixes and their corresponding powers of ten, such as kilo (10^{3}), centi (10^{-2}), milli (10^{-3}), micro (10^{-6}), nano (10^{-9}), etc.
3. Identify the factor given in the problem, which is 10^{-3}, and match it to the correct prefix from the list.
4. Note that 'milli' corresponds exactly to 10^{-3}, meaning one thousandth of a unit.
5. Confirm that the other options do not match 10^{-3}: 'centi' is 10^{-2}, 'micro' is 10^{-6}, and 'nano' is 10^{-9}.