Metric System Basics

Metric System Metric system - an International System (SI) system of units of measurement. - based on base unit that corresponds to a certain kind of measurement Length = meter Volume = liter Mass = gram

Length The basic unit of length in the metric system is the meter (m) Metric Units of Length Kilometer (km) = 1000 m Hectometer (hm) = 100 m Decameter (dam) = 10 m Meter (m) = 1 m Decimeter (dm) = 0.1 m Centimeter (cm) = 0.01 m Millimeter (mm) = 0.001 m

Mass The amount of matter in an object. The basic unit of mass in the metric system is a gram (g) 1 g = mass of water in a cube that measures 1 cm x 1 cm x 1cm Metric Units of Mass Kilogram (kg) = 1000 g Hectogram (hg) = 100 g Decagram (dag) = 10 g Gram (g) = 1 g Decigram (dg) = 0.1 g Centigram (cg) = 0.01 g Milligram (mg) = 0.001 g Mass

_______ + ______ + _______ = ________ g TRiplE Beam Balance We will be using triple beam balance to find the mass of various objects. The objects are placed on the scale and then you move the weights on the beams until you get the lines on the right-side of the scale to match up. Once you have balanced the scale, you add up the amounts on each beam to find the total mass. What would be the mass of the object measured in the picture? _______ + ______ + _______ = ________ g

Volume Liquid substances are measured in units of liter or cm3. The amount of space an object takes up The basic unit of mass in the metric system is a liter (L) 1 L = capacity of a cube that measures 10 cm x 10 cm x 10 cm Standard: 1 liter is equal to one cubic decimeter Metric Units of Capacity Kiloliter (kL) = 1000 L Hectoliter (hL) = 100 L Decaliter (daL) = 10 L Liter (L) = 1 L Deciliter (dL) = 0.1 L Centiliter (cL) = 0.01 L Milliliter (mL) = 0.001 L Volume

Liquid VOLUME We will be using graduated cylinders to find the volume of liquids and other objects Read the measurement based on the bottom of the meniscus or curve. When using a real cylinder, make sure you are eye-level with the level of the water. What is the volume of water in the cylinder? _____mL

Measuring solid VOLUME We can measure the volume of regular object using the formula length x width x height. 9 cm 8 cm 10 cm We can measure the volume of irregular object using water displacement. - Amount of H2O with object = ______ - About of H2O without object = ______ - Difference = Volume = ______

Length of a ball of twine stretched out 25 meters Metric System So if you needed to measure length you would choose meter as your base unit Length of a tree branch 1.5 meters Length of a room 5 meters Length of a ball of twine stretched out 25 meters

Let’s say you live approximately 10 miles from school Metric System But what if you need to measure a longer distance, like from your house to school? Let’s say you live approximately 10 miles from school 10 miles = 16093 meters 16093 is a big number, but what if you could add a prefix onto the base unit to make it easier to manage: 16093 meters = 16.093 kilometers (or 16.1 if rounded to 1 decimal place)

These prefixes are based on units of 10. What does this mean? Metric System These prefixes are based on units of 10. What does this mean? From each prefix every “step” is either: 10 times larger or 10 times smaller For example Centimeters are 10 times larger than millimeters 1 centimeter = 10 millimeters __________ hecto deca Base Units meter gram liter deci ______ milli

1 centimeter = 10 millimeters Example not to scale Metric System Centimeters are 10 times larger than millimeters so it takes more millimeters for the same length 1 centimeter = 10 millimeters Example not to scale 40 41 1 mm 40 41 1 cm

For each “step” to right, you are mutliplying by 10 Metric System For each “step” to right, you are mutliplying by 10 For example, let’s go from a base unit to centi 1 liter = 10 deciliters = 100 centiliters 2 grams = 20 decigrams = 200 centigrams ( 1 x 10 = 10) = (10 x 10 = 100) (2 x 10 = 20) = (20 x 10 = 200) kilo hecto deca meter liter gram deci centi milli

Metric System An easy way to move within the metric system is by moving the decimal point one place for each “step” desired Example: change meters to centimeters 1 meter = 10 decimeters = 100 centimeters or 1.00 meter = 10.0 decimeters = 100. centimeters kilo hecto deca meter liter gram deci centi milli

Now let’s try our previous example from meters to kilometers: Metric System Now let’s try our previous example from meters to kilometers: 16093 meters = 1609.3 decameters = 160.93 hectometers = 16.093 kilometers So for every “step” from the base unit to kilo, we moved the decimal 1 place to the left (the same direction as in the diagram below) kilo hecto deca meter liter gram deci centi milli

Metric System If you move to the left in the diagram, move the decimal to the left If you move to the right in the diagram, move the decimal to the right kilo hecto deca meter liter gram deci centi milli

Now let’s start from centimeters and convert to kilometers Metric System Now let’s start from centimeters and convert to kilometers 400000 centimeters = 4 kilometers 400000 centimeters = 4.00000 kilometers kilo hecto deca meter liter gram deci centi milli

Now let’s start from meters and convert to kilometers Metric System Now let’s start from meters and convert to kilometers 4000 meters = 4 kilometers kilo hecto deca meter liter gram deci centi milli Now let’s start from centimeters and convert to meters 4000 centimeters = 40 meters kilo hecto deca meter liter gram deci centi milli

Now let’s start from meters and convert to centimeters Metric System Now let’s start from meters and convert to centimeters 5 meters = 500 centimeters kilo hecto deca meter liter gram deci centi milli Now let’s start from kilometers and convert to meters .3 kilometers = 300 meters kilo hecto deca meter liter gram deci centi milli

Now let’s start from kilometers and convert to millimeters Metric System Now let’s start from kilometers and convert to millimeters 4 kilometers = 4000000 millimeters or 4 kilometers = 40 hectometers = 400 decameters = 4000 meters = 40000 decimeters = 400000 centimeters = 4000000 millimeters kilo hecto deca meter liter gram deci centi milli

Summary Base units in the metric system are meter, liter, gram Metric system is based on powers of 10 For conversions within the metric system, each “step” is 1 decimal place to the right or left Using the diagram below, converting to the right, moves the decimal to the right and vice versa kilo hecto deca meter liter gram deci centi milli