1. Unit 1: Intro to Earth/Environmental Science
Metric
Conversions

2. What are Metric Conversions?
Sometimes we need to change from one measurement to another.
This is usually done because the unit that is used is either too big or too small for that type of measurement.

3. Sometimes the number is too big for the unit being measured.
525,568 millimeters
Sometimes the number is too big for the unit being measured.

4. Sometimes the number is too small for the unit being measuredkm
Sometimes the number is too small for the unit being measured

5. How Do We Fix This Problem?
We can correct these problems by doing a process called Metric Conversion. When you do a Metric Conversion, you are changing from one unit of measurement to another.

6. So How Do I Do A Metric Conversion?
We will be using a method called The Stair-step Method
of Metric Conversion.
It requires you to move the decimal in the number.

7. The Stair-step King-Henry-Died-By-Drinking-Chocolate-Milk
Kilo- Hecto- Deka- base units Deci- Centi- Milli-
Grams, liters,meters
King-Henry-Died-By-Drinking-Chocolate-Milk

8. The Stair-step : METER King-Henry-Died-By-Drinking-Chocolate-Milk
Km Hm Dam M Dm Cm Mm
METERS
King-Henry-Died-By-Drinking-Chocolate-Milk

9. How Do I Use This?
5.0 K m
_?_H m
-The first letter of the prefix in the unit of measurement tells you which step to start on.
-The first letter in the second unit of measurement tells you which step to stop on.
-Find which step to start on, and count the number of steps it takes to get to the step that you need to stop on.

10. Km Hm Dam M Dm Cm Mm
METERS
The Stair-step : METER

11. How Do I Use This (cont.)? 5.0 K m _50_H m
If you went to the right(downstairs) the decimal in the first measurement moves that many places to the right.
If you went to the left (upstairs) then the decimal moves to the left. Fill any empty places with zeros.
5.0 K m
_50_H m

12. mm = ? m
The decimal in mm moves three places to the left, becoming m.
km = ? m
km becomes 6.54 m.

13. 1.45m  ___ cm
1450
145
14.5
0.145
0.0145
:00

14. The Stair-step : METER
Km- Hm Dam M Dm Cm Mm

15. 4.0 mm  ___ dm
0.04
0.4 4 40
400

16. The Stair-step : METER
Km- Hm Dam M Dm Cm Mm

17. 0.022 hm  __dam
0.0022
0.22
2.2 22

18. Km- Hm Dam M Dm Cm Mm
The Stair-step : METER

19. 0.108 km  ___ m
0.0108
1.08
10.8
108
1080

20. Km Hm
Dam M Dm Cm Mm
The Stair-step : METER

21. 5 km  ___ mm .5
500
50,000
5,000,000

22. Km- Hm Dam M Dm Cm Mm
The Stair-step : METER

24. Know Your Left From Your Right
Count Up to Six
Know Your Left From Your Right
King-Henry-Died-By-Drinking-Chocolate-Milk
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