1. Metric System Review
Scientists use the metric system to measure things such as volume, distance, and time.
Meters, grams, seconds, degrees celsius,

2. Quantity
Unit
Symbol
Length
meter m
Mass
kilogram Kg
Temperature
Kelvin
Celsius K C
Time
second s

3. Limits of Measurement You can only be as precise as the tools you use!
Precision is a gauge of how exact a measurement is. Precision is the degree to which several measurements provide answers very close to each other
Ex. 5 mins is less precise that 5 min 45 sec
Accuracy is the closeness of a measurement to the actual value of what is being measured.
Ex. If a clock is running 15 mins slow, then the clock is not accurate

5. What tools measure what quantities
Mass
Electronic balance, triple beam balance
Volume
Beaker, graduated cylinder, ruler
Weight
Spring scale
Temperature
Thermometer, temperature probe

6. THE METER
The meter is the starting point for the metric system.
START

7. Here’s a meter stick!

8. It takes 10 decimeters to make up 1 meter.

9. It takes 10 centimeters to make up 1 decimeter.

10. If 1 meter = 10 decimeters and 1 decimeter = 10 centimeters then how many centimeters make up 1 meter?

11. That’s right! 1 meter = 100 centimeters

12. 100centimeters = 1 meter

13. It takes 10 millimeters to make up 1 centimeter.
Boy, that’s small!

14. If 1 meter = 10 decimeters and decimeter = 10 centimeters and 1centimeter = 10 millimeters then how many millimeters make up 1 meter?

15. That’s right! 1000 millimeters = 1 meter

16. It takes 10 millimeters to make up 1 centimeter.
Millimeters are so small that they almost run together.

17. Metric System
These prefixes are based on powers 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
kilo
hecto
deca
Base Units
meter
gram
liter
deci
centi
milli

18. 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

19. Metric System For each “step” to right, you are multiplying 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

20. 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

21. Metric System
Now let’s try our previous example from meters to kilometers:
16093 meters = decameters = hectometers = 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

22. 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

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

24. 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

25. 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

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

27. Metric System
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

28. This is a magnified image of a ruler/meter stick.1 2 3 4
This is one centimeter.

29. This is a magnified image of a ruler/meter stick.1 2 3 4
This is half of a centimeter.

30. This is a magnified image of a ruler/meter stick.1 2 3 4
This is one millimeter.

31. This key measures 3 cm. 1 2 3 4

32. Or you could say that it measures 30 mm.1 2 3 4

33. This key measures 2.5 cm. 1 2 3 4

34. Or, you could say that it measures 25 mm.1 2 3 4

35. 1 2 3 4
This toy car measures 4.2 cm.

36. Or, you could say it measures 42 mm.1 2 3 4
Or, you could say it measures 42 mm.

37. Why is Scientific Notation Important???
Scientific notation makes it easier to work with very large numbers or very small numbers.
For example:
is written as 8.6 X 10-4
300,000,000 is written as 3.0 X 108

38. Now try these…. Write 3,564,000 in scientific notation.
Remember only one number in front of the decimal point!!!

39. Were you right?
3.564 X 106
4.3 X 10-3

41. 54mm - ___m
13kL  ____cL
.54Dg  _____mg