Metric Conversions (rev. 08/13)

Drill Why does the scientific community use the metric system (SI unit system) as a standard system of measurement?

Objectives iWBAT Convert from one unit to another unit using the Metric System.

Metric or Imperial System One argument for changing to metric is to get in line with the rest of the world. The USA is the only major trading country where a lot of trade is conducted in non-metric units. This has proven costly, for example in September 1999 a $125m spacecraft went missing due to calculation errors being made. One team had been working in centimeters, meters and kilograms, while another was using inches, feet and pounds. (sciencespot.net)

Pick up a copy of the SI Units and Prefixes WS. See next slide

SI Units MeasurementUnitAbbreviation Lengthmetersm MasskilogramKg Timesecondss TemperatureKelvinsK Amount of Substancenmol

Multiples of 10 Metric measures are all based on multiples of 10. Since everything is base 10, it makes calculations easier. 10 mm= 1 cm 100 cm = 1 m mm = 1 m m = 1 km

Base units The Basic units in the Metric System are: meterm literl gramg

Using Another Base Unit 10 mm= 1 cm 10 mg= 1 cg 10 ml= 1 cl 100 cm = 1 m 100 cg = 1 g 100 cl = 1 l mm = 1 m mg = 1 g ml = 1 l m = 1 km g = 1 kg l = 1 kl

Catchy Phrases “King Henry Died BY Drinking Chocolate Milk” “Kids Have Dropped OVER Dead Converting Metrics” (The word BY or OVER represents the base units grams, liters and meters)

Prefixes NameAbbreviationValue MegaM1,000,000 kilok1000 hectoh100 dekada10 Base unit10 0 decid10 -1 centic10 -2 millim10 -3 micro u nanon10 -9