Tech Note E
The SI prefixes Symbulator accepts
Every prefix Symbulator takes, from peta down to atto, with its shorthand and its factor — and the two places where case matters.
Last updated 2026-09-11
An SI prefix in an element's value, preceded by an apostrophe, multiplies that value by the corresponding factor, exactly. 8'k is 8000, and it is 8000 exactly, not 8000 to some number of figures.
Eleven prefixes are accepted:
| Prefix | Shorthand | Factor |
|---|---|---|
| peta | 'P | 1015 |
| tera | 'T | 1012 |
| giga | 'G | 109 |
| mega | 'M | 106 |
| kilo | 'k or 'K | 103 |
| milli | 'm | 10-3 |
| micro | 'u or 'µ | 10-6 |
| nano | 'n | 10-9 |
| pico | 'p | 10-12 |
| femto | 'f | 10-15 |
| atto | 'a | 10-18 |
They work in the value of every element, not only resistors.
Exact, and why that matters
A prefixed value is exact, and so is a plain integer. A decimal point or an exponent makes a value approximate instead. So an 8 kΩ resistor can be written four ways that are not quite the same thing:
8000— exact8'k— exact8000.— approximate8E3— approximate
The difference does not show until an answer is symbolic or a division does not come out even. 8000 and 8'k let Symbulator keep a current as 3/500 A; 8000. and 8E3 make it 0.006 A from the start.
Prefixes in the answers, not just the values
The table above is about what you type. Symbulator will also write its answers with prefixes: tick Use SI prefixes in answers in Settings, and a current of 3/500 A reads 6 mA instead.
Ticking it moves Rounding off exact by itself, since a prefixed value is a decimal, and choosing exact again switches the prefixes off. Symbulator says so on screen when it does.