Measuring Using The Metric System

The English System The system of measurement the United States uses. Uses inches, feet, yards, and miles to measure length Uses ounces and pounds to measure mass Uses ounces and gallons to measure volume

The Metric System Uses units based on multiples of ten Gets its name from the basic unit of length, the meter. Historically, the meter was defined by the French Academy of Sciences as the length between two marks on a platinum-iridium bar, which was designed to represent one ten-millionth of the distance from the Equator to the North Pole through Paris. In 1983, the meter was redefined as the distance traveled by light in free space in 1⁄299,792,458 of a second.

Base Units of the Metric System Length: Meter (m) Volume: Liter (l) Mass: Gram (g)

Metric Prefixes The metric system uses prefixes that represent a relationship to the base unit The prefixes are:

milli (m) = 1/1000 of the base unit centi (c) = 1/100 of the base unit deci (d) = 1/10 of the base unit BASE UNIT = 1 deka (da) = 10 times the base unit hecto (h) = 100 times the base unit kilo (k) = 1000 times the base unit

Metric Conversions You can use the metric prefixes to change from one length, mass, or volume to another in the metric system For example, if you measure the length of the table to be 3.2 meters, you can convert it to centimeters and express it as 320 centimeters. You can use the acronym King Henry Died By Drinking Chocolate Milk to help you make these conversions.

Volume Volume is the amount of space a substance occupies Volume is measured using a graduated cylinder The units used to measure the volume of a liquid are milliliters (ml)

The units used to measure the volume of a solid are cubic centimeters (cm3) The formula used to calculate the volume of a solid is Length x Width x Height Remember that 1 ml = 1 cm3

Find the volume of the object below: Length = 12 cm Width = 3 cm Height = 3 cm Volume = length x width x height Volume = 12 cm x 3 cm x 3 cm Volume = 108 cm3

Metric System English System