1. Metric System: Conversion is Easier
5 miles into feet
5 kilometers into meters
Metric System is a Base 10 system (think Scientific Notation!) where decimals move.

2. LADDER METHOD
Decimal moves to the right.
Decimal moves to the left.

3. BASE Decimal moves to the right. Kilo Hecto Deka Deci Centi
103
Kilo
1000 units
102
Hecto
100 units
101
Deka
10 units
100
BASE
1 unit
10-1
Deci
0.1 units
10-2
Centi
0.01 units
10-3
Milli
0.001 units
Decimal moves to the left.

4. Conversions:
155cm  m
25km  m
2km  cm
3,400mL  L
3.4L  mL
256g kg
45kg  g
Meter
Liter
Gram
Second
Base Units:
KING HENRY DIED BY DRINKING CHOCOLATE MILK

5. Decimal moves to the right.
1012
Deci = d
Centi = c
Milli = m
Micro = μ
Nano = n
Pico = p
tera
109
giga
106
1,000,000,000,000
Units
mega
103
1,000,000,000
Units
Decimal moves to the right.
Kilo
102
1,000,000 Units
Hecto
101
Base Units:
1,000 Units
Deka
100 Units
100
Base
10 Units
10-1
deci
10-2
1 Unit
Meter Liter Gram Second
centi
10-3
0.1 Units
Tera = T
Giga = G
Mega = M
Kilo = k
Hecto = h
Deka = da
Decimal moves to the left.
milli
10-6
0.01 Units
micro
10-9
0.001 Units
nano
10-12
Units
pico
Units
Units

6. Assignment
Why is a standard international set of units helpful and necessary in science?
Should the United States Adopt the Si system of measurement? What changes would this entail? How much would it cost?
Convert the Following Units using the stair step method:
360cm  _____m mm  _____m m  _____km ,345cm  _____da
400mL  _____L L  _____mL dL  _____mL kL _____ L
934g  _____kg kg  _____g mg  _____g kg _____g
Compare using <, > or = to.
56cm m g mg mL L mL L
43mg g cm m ,445mL L kg g
The ceiling in Mr. O’Connell’s living room is 2.4 m high. He has installed a new hanging lamp that hangs down 61 cm. He is approximately .175dekameters tall. Will he hit his head on the hanging lamp? Draw a sketch and show your work!

7. Rank each object from the largest weight to smallest weight:
[1]
[2]
[3]
[4]
[5]
4kg
2kg
1kg
1kg
3kg

8. Rank each object from longest to shortest (not drawn to scale).
Rank each object from heaviest to lightest.
3.2kg
32000g
3200mg
320cg
[1]
[2]
[3]
[4]
(a) (b) (c) (d)
Rank each object from longest to shortest (not drawn to scale).
3.2m
320cm
3300mm
0.032km
[1]
[2]
[3]
[4]
(a) (b) (c) (d)

9. Rank each object from longest to shortest.
Rank each object from highest to lowest volume (not drawn to scale). 2L
2001mL
350cL
0.002kL
[1]
[2]
[3]
[4]
(a) (b) (c) (d)
Rank each object from longest to shortest.
3x102cm
3x100m
3x105mm
3x10-1km
[1]
[2]
[3]
[4]
(a) (b) (c) (d)