Count Up to Six and Know Your Left From Your Right METRIC CONVERSION Count Up to Six and Know Your Left From Your Right

What are Metric Conversions? Sometimes we need to change from one measurement to another. This is usually done because the unit that is used is either too big or too small for that type of measurement.

Sometimes the number is too big for the unit being measured. 525,568 millimeters Sometimes the number is too big for the unit being measured.

Sometimes the number is too small for the unit being measured .00654 km Sometimes the number is too small for the unit being measured

How Do We Fix This Problem? We can correct these problems by doing a process called Metric Conversion. When you do a Metric Conversion, you are changing from one unit of measurement to another.

So How Do I Do A Metric Conversion? We will be using a method called The Stair-step Method of Metric Conversion. It requires two things; one, that you be able to count to 6, and two, that you know your left from your right.

The Stair-step Kilo- Hecto- Deka- Grams, liters,meters base units Deci- Centi- Milli- Grams, liters,meters

How Do I Use This? The first letter of the prefix in the unit of measurement tells you which step to start on. The first letter in the second unit of measurement tells you which step to stop on. Find which step to start on, and count the number of steps it takes to get to the step that you need to stop on. If you went to the right(downstairs) the decimal in the first measurement moves that many places to the right. If you went to the left (upstairs) then the decimal moves to the left. Fill any empty places with zeros.

How Do I Use This (cont.)? If there is only one letter in the unit of measurement, then you start or stop on the base unit step. Now let’s look at our examples…..

525568 mm = ? m Millimeters are a very small amount of distance. You would not want to measure a large distance in a very small unit. To make the conversion, we start on the milli- step and go three steps to the left to get to the meter step. Therefore, the decimal in 525568 mm moves three places to the left, becoming 525.568 m.

.00654 km = ? m Kilometers are a fairly large unit of distance. You would not want to measure a small distance in a large unit, so we need to convert it to a smaller unit, the meter. We would start on the Kilo- step and move three steps to the right this time, ending on the meter (base unit) step. Therefore, .00654 km becomes 6.54 m.

Be able to count up to six and know your left from your right. Hey! This Is Easy! You bet it’s easy! Like we said on the first slide….. Be able to count up to six and know your left from your right. Now, get your stair-step sheet and your practice problems and do some more conversions!