ABSTRACT
Indices, engineering notation and metric conversions Powers and roots are used extensively in mathematics and engineering, so it is important to get a good grasp of what they are and how, and why, they are used. Studying, or working, in an engineering discipline, the people very quickly become familiar with the standard units of measurement, the prefixes used and engineering notation. In addition, metric conversions are needed all the time in engineering situations. An electronic calculator is essential with engineering notation and with metric conversions. Units used in engineering and science may be made larger or smaller by using prefixes that denote multiplication or division by a particular amount. The Imperial System (which uses yards, feet, inches, etc to measure length) was developed over hundreds of years in the UK. Then the French developed the Metric System (metres) in 1670, which soon spread through Europe.
