Which of the following best describes the role of prefixes in the metric system?

• A. Prefixes are only used for temperature measurements in the metric system.
• B. Prefixes indicate the magnitude of a unit by specifying powers of ten.
• C. Prefixes represent the chemical composition of a substance.
• D. Prefixes are used to convert metric units into imperial units.

Answer: (B)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand that the metric system is based on units that scale by powers of ten, making it easy to convert between different magnitudes of measurement.
2. Recognize that prefixes in the metric system (such as kilo-, centi-, milli-) are attached to base units to indicate specific powers of ten, which change the size of the unit accordingly.
3. Know that these prefixes do not represent chemical composition or convert metric units to imperial units; rather, they modify the unit's magnitude.
4. Recall that prefixes are not limited to temperature measurements; they apply broadly across various types of measurements like length, mass, and volume.
5. Conclude that the primary role of prefixes in the metric system is to indicate the magnitude of a unit by specifying powers of ten.