Title:Metric System

1. What are the base units in the

metric system (M.S.)?

2. How do you convert metric units?

3. Why is the M.S. used in the world

of science?

Essential Questions: (E.Q.)

• �Almost all other countries are using the metric system

• Other countries’ companies are refusing to buy products from the

U.S.A. if not labeled in metric units

• Scientists need a universal � way to communicate data (SI Units or M.S.)

WHY SHOULD WE USE THE METRIC SYSTEM?

Base Units

Meter

Liter

Gram

My

Large

Giraffe

Length= Meter

1 millimeter (1 mm)

About the thickness of a dime

1 centimeter (1 cm)

1 kilometer (1 km)

About the length of 10 football fields

Volume = Liter

1 liter (1 L)

1 liter of coke

1 milliliter (1 mL or 1 ml) Capacity of an eyedropper

1 kiloliter (1kL or 1 kl)

About the capacity of

4 bathtubs

Mass = Gram

1 gram (1 g)

About the mass of a paperclip

1 milligram (1 mg) About the mass of a grain of sand

1 kilogram (1 kg)

The Metric (SI) system is based on multiples of 10!

Metric Conversion Mnemonic

• KKing (kkilo, 1,000)

• HHenry (hhecto, 100)

• DDied (ddeka, 10) abbreviation-(dk)

• UUnexpectedly (UUnit (Liter, meter, gram)

• DDrinking (ddeci 1/10)

• CChocolate (ccenti 1/100)

• MMilk (mmilli, 1/1,000)

HECTO100

Units

KILO1000Units DEKA

10Units

DECI0.1

UnitCENTI

0.01Unit

MILLI0.001Unit

MetersLitersGrams

House Method

How do you use the “house” 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

Kilo Hecto Deka Gram deci centi milli

Practice Problem 1

How many mg are in 3.6 Kg?

Starting point Final Destination

3,600,000 mg6 places to the right of the decimal point

3.6 kg 36.0 hectogra

m

360. 0 dekagrams

3600. 0 grams 360000.

0centigrams

3600000.0 milligrams

36000. 0 decigrams

Kilo Hecto Deka Meter deci centi milli

Practice Problem 2

How many hm are in 12.67 mm?

Starting pointFinal Destination

0.0001267 hm5 places to the left of the decimal point

Stop Here

Please!

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 Conversions

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