Meters, Grams and Liters

The Metric System

• The metric system is a measurement system based on our decimal (base 10) number system.

• Other countries and all scientists and engineers use the metric system for measurement.

Metric Prefixes• Metric Units• The metric system has prefix modifiers that are multiples of

10.

Prefix Symbol Factor Number Factor Word

Kilo- k 1000 Thousand

Hecto- h 100 Hundred

Deca- da or dk 10 Ten

Unit m, L, g 1 One

Deci- d .1 Tenth

Centi- c .01 Hundredth

Milli- m .001 thousandth

Place Values of Metric Prefixes

Thousand

Hundred

Ten

One

Tenth

Hundredth

Thousandth

km

kg

kL

hm

hg

hL

dkm

dkg

dkL

m

g

L

dm

dg

dL

cm

cg

cL

mm

mg

mL

Meters

• Meters measure length or distance

• One millimeter is about the thickness of a dime.

Meters• One centimeter is

about the width of a large paper clip

•or your fingernail.

Meters

• A meter is about the width of a doorway

Meters

• A kilometer is about six city blocks or 10 football fields.

• 1.6 kilometers is about 1 mile

Gram

• Grams are used to measure mass or the weight of an object.

Grams

• A milligram weighs about as much as a grain of salt.

Grams

• 1 gram weighs about as much as a small paper clip.

• 1 kilogram weighs about as much as 6 apples or 2 pounds.

Liters

• Liters measure liquids or capacity.

Liter

• 1 milliliter is about the amount of twenty drops

Liter

• 1 liter is half of a 2 liter bottle of Coke or other soda

Liter

• A kiloliter would be about 500 2-liter bottles of pop

Which unit would you use to measure the length of this bicycle?

km m cm mm

Which unit would you use to measure the mass of a penny?

km g cL mg

Which unit would you use to measure the water in an aquarium?

L m cL mg

Which unit would you use to measure the mass of a feather?

L m cL mg

Which unit would you use to measure the mass of a student

desk?

kg g cL mg

Which unit would you use to measure the mass of a whole

watermelon?

kg g cL mg

Which unit would you use to measure the mass of an egg?

kg g mm mg

Which unit would you use to measure a can of soup?

kL L mm mL

Which unit would you use to measure this glass of milk?

kL L cL mL

Which unit would you use to measure the distance across

Kansas?

km m cm mL

Which unit would you use to measure the height of a tree?

km m cm mm

Which unit would you use to measure the length of a bracelet?

km m cm mm

Changing Metric Units

• To change from one unit to another in the metric system you simply multiply or divide by a power of 10.

To change from a larger unit to a smaller unit, you need to multiply.

1 km x 1000 = 1000 m

1 m x 100 = 100 cm

1 cm x 10 = 10mm

Place Values of Metric Prefixes

Thousand

Hundred

Ten

One

Tenth

Hundredth

Thousandt

h

km

kL

kg

hm

hL

hg

dkm

dkL

dkg

m

L

g

dm

dL

dg

cm

cL

cg

mm

mL

mg

Move the decimal point to the right to multiply.

Place Values of Metric Prefixes

Thousand

Hundred

Ten

One

Tenth

Hundredth

Thousandth

km

kg

kL

hm

hg

hL

dkm

dkg

dkL

m

g

L

dm

dg

dL

cm

cg

cL

mm

mg

mL

To change from smaller units to larger units you divide by a

power of ten.

1000mm ÷ 10 = 100cm

100cm ÷ 10 = 10dm

10dm ÷ 10 = 1m

Place Values of Metric Prefixes

Thousand

Hundred

Ten

One

Tenth

Hundredth

Thousandt

h

km

kL

kg

hm

hL

hg

dkm

dkL

dkg

m

L

g

dm

dL

dg

cm

cL

cg

mm

mL

mg

Move the decimal point to the left to divide.

Place Values of Metric Prefixes

km

kg

kL

hm

hg

hL

dkm

dkg

dkL

m

g

L

dm

dg

dL

cm

cg

cL

mm

mg

mL

3km 30hm 300dkm 3000m

4L

30000dm 300000cm

12cm

3000000mm

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• That is not the BEST choice!