Metric System Review

Two Systems of Measurement

• Metric (Systeme International)

-Used throughout

the world

-Used in Science

• English

-Used in the United States and 1 or 2 other countries

What is the difference?

• Metric System

• Developed by the French

• Very Simple to use• Easy to convert• Used throughout the

World

• English System

• Difficult to use• Difficult to convert• Used in the U.S. and

a few other countries

Metric Vs. English system

• Metric

-Basic Unit of:

Length- Meter

Mass (weight)- Gram

Capacity (volume)- Liter

Temperature- Celsius

Time- Seconds/Minutes

• English

-Basic Unit of:

Length- inch/foot/yard

Mass (weight)- ounces/pounds

Capacity (volume)- Ounce

Temperature- Farenheit

Time- Seconds/Minutes

Metric System

• The metric system is based on a base unit that corresponds to a certain kind of measurement

• Length = meter• Volume = liter• Weight (Mass) = gram

• Prefixes plus base units make up the metric system – Example:

• Centi + meter = Centimeter• Kilo + liter = Kiloliter

Metric System

• The three prefixes that we will use the most are:– kilo– centi– milli

kilo hecto deca

Base Units

meter

gram

liter

deci centi milli

How to remember• Kids Have Dropped Over Dead Converting Metrics

• (kilo) (hecto) (Deco) (base) (deci) (centi) (milli)

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

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

1 mm 1 mm 1 mm 1 mm 1 mm 1 mm 1 mm 1 mm 1 mm 1 mm

1 cm

40

41

41

40

Metric Conversions Ladder Method

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

kilo hecto deca

meter

liter

gram

deci centi milli

( 1 x 10 = 10) = (10 x 10 = 100)

(2 x 10 = 20) = (20 x 10 = 200)

KILO1000Units

HECTO100

Units

DEKA10

UnitsDECI

0.1Unit

CENTI0.01Unit

MILLI0.001Unit

MetersLitersGrams

Ladder Method

How do you use the “ladder” method?

1st – Determine your starting point.

2nd – Count the “jumps” to your ending point.

3rd – Move the decimal the same number of jumps in the same direction.

4 km = _________ m

12

3

How many jumps does it take?

Starting Point Ending Point

4.1

__.2

__.3

__. = 4000 m

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 centimetersor

1.00 meter = 10.0 decimeters = 100. centimeters

kilo hecto deca

meter

liter

gram

deci centi milli

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

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

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

kilo hecto deca

meter

liter

gram

deci centi milli

• Now let’s start from centimeters and convert to meters

4000 centimeters = 40 meters

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

kilo hecto deca

meter

liter

gram

deci centi milli

• Now let’s start from kilometers and convert to meters

.3 kilometers = 300 meters

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

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

Try these conversions using the ladder method.

1000 mg = _______ g 1 L = _______ mL 160 cm = _______ mm

14 km = _______ m 109 g = _______ kg 250 m = _______ km

Conversion Practice

Compare using <, >, or =.

56 cm 6 m 7 g 698 mg

Write the correct abbreviation for each metric unit.

1) Kilogram _____ 4) Milliliter _____ 7) Kilometer _____

2) Meter _____ 5) Millimeter _____ 8) Centimeter _____

3) Gram _____ 6) Liter _____ 9) Milligram _____

Try these conversions, using the ladder method.

10) 2000 mg = _______ g 15) 5 L = _______ mL 20) 16 cm = _______ mm

11) 104 km = _______ m 16) 198 g = _______ kg 21) 2500 m = _______ km

12) 480 cm = _____ m 17) 75 mL = _____ L 22) 65 g = _____ mg

13) 5.6 kg = _____ g 18) 50 cm = _____ m 23) 6.3 cm = _____ mm

14) 8 mm = _____ cm 19) 5.6 m = _____ cm 24) 120 mg = _____ g

Metric Conversion Challenge

Compare using <, >, or =.

25) 63 cm 6 m 27) 5 g 508 mg 29) 1,500 mL 1.5 L

26) 536 cm 53.6 dm 28) 43 mg 5 g 30) 3.6 m 36 cm