The Metric System

Systems of Measurement Around the World Two different Systems English Used in the United States Metric Used in almost every other country in the world. Based on powers of ten.

Common Units in the English System of Measurement Inches (in.)  length/height Feet (ft.)  length/height Ounces (oz.)  weight/volume Pounds (lb.)  weight/volume

Common Units in the Metric System of Measurement Meter (m)  length Liter (L)  volume Gram (g)  mass

What measurement system do we use in science? The metric system Easy to convert from one size to another since it is based on multiples of ten. The rest of the world uses it, so communication of results is easier.

Converting from English to Metric Use Conversion chart pg S177 in book. If given 5 feet, convert to meters. How many meters in a foot? 0.305m = 1 foot You have five feet so multiply the five feet by… 0.305m Answer = 1.525 meters

Practice Conversion Convert 55 pounds to kilograms. Answer:

Common Metric Prefixes and Sizes Abbreviation Factor kilo- k 1,000 hecto- h 100 deka- da 10 1 deci- d 0.1 centi- c 0.01 milli- m 0.001 micro- µ 0.000001

Converting from one metric factor to another

Doing metric conversion is as easy as climbing a flight of stairs. First find which step represents the units you are starting with. Then count the number of stairs you need to climb or go down to get to the step that represents the units you want. Don't count the step you started on. When you climb the steps, the decimal goes to the left. When you go down stairs the decimal goes to the right. Remember the step marked "g,L,m" represents the unit with no prefix.

Example Conversions 123.1 cm equals how many meters? We start on the step labeled "centi". You walk up two steps to the step labeled "g,L,m". Since you went up 2 steps the decimal moves 2 places to the left and the answer is… 1.231 m.

Example Conversions 20 kilograms equals how many centigrams? We start on the step labeled "kilo". You walk down five steps to the step labeled "centi". Since you went down 5 steps the decimal moves 5 places to the right and the answer is… 2,000,000 cg.

Challenge Problem: Convert 134 inches to meters. First convert inches to centimeters Next convert centimeters to meters. Answer: 0.3429 meters