1. Metric Measurement
The measurement system used in science and in most countries of the world.

2. Where?
The Metric system is used in all but three nations in the entire world. Can you name the three that don’t?
Most countries have adopted the metric system as their official system of measurement. There are only three countries in the world that do not use the metric system for official measurement. The United States, Burma (Myanmar) and Liberia all depend on older systems of measurements. Within these countries, however, the metric system is often used, especially in scientific and international contexts.
Source

3. Why? It is a better system because it is easier to use.
It is based on multiples of 10, which is easy to multiply and divide by.
Example: if a table is 354 centimeters long that would be equal to 3.54 meters. You just divide by 100 (or move the decimal point two places to the left). If a table is 354 inches long you would divide by 36 which would be 9.83.

4. Distance
Distance (also called length, width, height, depth & thickness) is measured in one direction, point A to point B.

5. The tools used include meter sticks, metric rulers, and odometers.
Distance continued…
The tools used include meter sticks, metric rulers, and odometers.
This is a meter stick…
…it is a stick and it is a meter long

6. The units used are based on the meter.
Distance continued…
The units used are based on the meter.
The common units that we use are the
meter (m)
centimeter (cm)
millimeter (mm)
kilometer (km)
They are all parts of a meter or are made up of meters

7. How big are they? Centi means (1/100) so…
… a centimeter (cm) is 1/100th of a meter
Milli means (1/1000) so…
… a millimeter (mm) is 1/1000th of a meter
Kilo means 1000 so…
,,, a kilometer (km) is 1000 meters

8. Area Area (or surface area) is measured in two directions.
It is the measure of how many square units it takes to cover a surface.

9. The tools used include meter sticks and metric rulers.
Area continued…
The tools used include meter sticks and metric rulers.

10. Area continued…
The area measurement process involves measuring the surface in two directions and then multiplying these dimensions
(L x W).

11. Area continued…
The common units that we use are the square centimeter (cm2), square meter (m2) and the square kilometer (km2).

12. Volume
Volume is the measure of how much space is taken up by matter in three dimensions.

13. Volume of regular shaped solids Volume of liquids
Volume continued…
There are three different types of volume measurement depending on what it is you are measuring.
Volume of regular shaped solids
Volume of liquids
Volume of irregular shaped solids

14. Volume continued… Volume of regular shaped solids…
…is used when you are measuring solid objects that have regular / consistent characteristics such as flat sides and right angles.
There are different formulas used depending on which geometric shape you are measuring. The most common is for the rectangular prism
(L x W x H)
4cm x 3cm x 5cm = 60cm3

15. Volume continued… Volume of regular shaped solids
The tools used include meter sticks and metric rulers.
The common units used when measuring the volume of solids are the cubic centimeter (cm3), and the cubic meter (m3).

16. Volume of liquids
This process involves the use of a graduated cylinder. The liquid is simply poured into the graduated cylinder and you read the graduated lines on the side to determine the volume.
Meniscus – curved surface of the liquid

17. Volume continued… Volume of liquids
The tools used include graduated cylinder.
The common units used when measuring the volume of liquids are the milliliter (mL) and the Liter (L).

18. It is important to understand that 1mL is equal to 1cm3.
1mL = cm3
used for liquids used for solids

19. Volume of irregular shaped solids
This is used for solid objects that do not have a regular (measurable) shape. The objects are submerged in water and the amount of water that is displaced is measured.

20. Volume continued… Volume of irregular shaped solids.
The common measurement tool used is the graduated cylinder.
Even though graduated cylinders measure in milliliters, since a solid is being measured the units used are cm3.

21. Lets get organized with a chart

22. Tools
Units
Regular
Shaped
solids
Liquids
Irregular shaped Solids

23. Tools Units Regular Shaped solids Liquids Irregular shaped Solids
Meter Stick
Liquids
Irregular shaped Solids

24. Tools Units Regular Shaped solids Liquids Irregular shaped Solids
Meter Stick
cm3
Liquids
Irregular shaped Solids

25. Tools Units Regular Shaped solids Liquids Irregular shaped Solids
Meter Stick
cm3
Graduated Cylinder
Liquids
Irregular shaped Solids

26. Tools Units Regular Shaped solids Liquids Irregular shaped Solids
Meter Stick
cm3
Graduated Cylinder
Liquids mL
Irregular shaped Solids

27. Tools Units Regular Shaped solids Liquids Irregular shaped Solids
Meter Stick
cm3
Graduated Cylinder
Liquids mL
Irregular shaped Solids
Graduated Cylinder

28. Tools Units Regular Shaped solids Liquids Irregular shaped Solids
Meter Stick
cm3
Graduated Cylinder
Liquids mL
Irregular shaped Solids
Graduated Cylinder
cm3

29. Mass Our book defines mass as the amount of matter in an object.
It is similar to weight and the two are often confused.

30. To measure mass, a balance is used.
Mass continued…
To measure mass, a balance is used.
The objects mass is compared to objects whose mass is known.

31. The base unit is the gram.
Mass continued…
The base unit is the gram.
The common mass units are the milligram (mg), the gram (g) and the kilogram (kg).

32. kg cg mg g Metric Units Metric Units 1 kilogram (kg) = 1000 grams (g)
1 gram (g) = 1000 milligrams (mg)
Click the image to watch a short video about mass.
Which is larger?
A. 1 kilogram or 1500 grams
B milligrams or 1 gram
C. 12 milligrams or 12 kilograms
D. 4 kilograms or 4500 grams
Kilogram Prototype Image -

33. _______ + ______ + _______ = ________ g
Measuring Mass
We will be using triple-beam balances to find the mass of various objects.
The objects are placed on the balance and then you move the weights on the beams until you get the lines on the right-side of the balance 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
Top Image: Bottom Image:

34. Measuring Mass – Triple-Beam Balance
1st – Place the film canister on the scale.
2nd – Slide the large weight to the right until the arm drops below the line. Move the rider back one groove. Make sure it “locks” into place.
3rd – Repeat this process with the top weight. When the arm moves below the line, back it up one groove.
4th – Slide the small weight on the front beam until the lines match up.
5th – Add the amounts on each beam to find the total mass to the nearest tenth of a gram.
Click here to try an online activity.

35. Mass - vs. - Weight Weight is similar to mass…
… but they are not the same thing.
Weight is the measure of how much gravity is pulling on an object.
If the amount of gravity changes, the weight of an object changes but the mass stays the same.

36. Mass vs. weight continued…
For example if you were to compare your weight on Earth to your weight on the moon, you would weigh less on the moon, but your mass would not change.
Also, if you were to go to deep space, far from any planet or moon, you would be “weightless” but you can never be “mass-less”.

37. Mass vs. weight continued…
Since weight is dependent on the force of gravity, the unit used when measuring weight is the Newton (N).

38. The tool used to measure weight is called the scale.
Weight continued…
The tool used to measure weight is called the scale.
Scales work by compressing or stretching a spring.

39. Tools
Units
Mass
Weight

40. Tools
Units
Mass
Balance
Weight

41. Tools
Units
Grams (g)
Milligrams (mg)
Kilograms (kg)
Mass
Balance
Weight

42. Tools
Units
Grams (g)
Milligrams (mg)
Kilograms (kg)
Mass
Balance
Weight
Scale

43. Tools
Units
Grams (g)
Milligrams (mg)
Kilograms (kg)
Mass
Balance
Weight
Scale
Newtons

44. Density
Density is described in our text book as “the amount of matter in a given space” and “the ratio of the mass of a substance to the volume of the substance”.
I like to explain it as…
… “how heavy something is for its size”.

45. Density continued…
The easiest way to picture it is if you had several objects all the same size, the heaviest one is the most dense.
Even a small piece of lead is pretty heavy so we would say lead is a dense material.
A piece of Styrofoam is not heavy compared to its size so we say Styrofoam is a low density material.

46. Density continued…
To measure the density of a material, you must measure both the mass and the volume of it.
Measure the mass
Measure to volume
Then you find the ratio of these two measurements. This is pretty easy, you just divide the mass by the volume (D = M / V).

47. Since mass is measured in grams (g),
Density continued…
Since mass is measured in grams (g),
the volume of solids is measured in cubic centimeters (cm3) and the volume of liquids is measured in milliliters (mL)…
…the units will be…
…grams per cubic centimeter (g/cm3) for solids
and…
…grams per milliliter (g/mL) for liquids.

48. Density continued…
When scientists were creating the metric system of measurements they planned ahead to make sure the volume and mass systems worked together.
They decided that one (mL) of water would have a mass of one (g). This insured that the density of water would be 1 g/mL.

49. Density continued…
Any object that floats in water has a density of less than water (less than 1 g/cm3). Any substance that sinks in water will have a density more than water (more than 1 g/cm3).