Many questions about computers are answered with numbers that have the prefixes "kilo," "mega," "giga," and even "tera" in their name. An understanding of these prefixes, and the massive numbers they represent, will help consumers navigate their way through the world of computers and other technologies.

Understanding Massive Numbers

Massive numbers are part of the metric system. The French Academy of Science introduced the idea for this system in 1790. It was originally created to measure length, mass, volume, temperature, and time. In 1960, countries that used the metric system agreed on rules for its use. It is now called "SI," which stands for Système International d'Unités— French for "International System of Units."

In the SI system, a basic unit is determined. Other units are created by multiplying the basic unit by powers of ten. In the field of computers, for example, the basic unit of...