Metric System of Measurement Add to your note-card book! 

Metric System The Metric system of measurement was created about two hundred years ago by a group of French scientists to simplify measurement.  

Length: Base unit in the metric system is the Meter. The measured distance from one end to the other of an object.

1 meter (1m)

1 meter (1m) or the length of a baseball bat

About the thickness of a dime 1 millimeter (1 mm) About the thickness of a dime

1 centimeter (1 cm)

1 kilometer (1 km)

OR About the length of 10 football fields 1 kilometer (1 km) OR About the length of 10 football fields

Mass: Base unit in the metric system is the Gram. A quantity of matter.

1 gram (1 g)

1 gram (1 g) or the mass of a paperclip

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

1 kilogram (1 kg)

1 kilogram (1 kg) or the mass of your textbook

Volume / Capacity Base unit in the metric system is the Liter. Space included within limits as measured Base unit in the metric system is the Liter.

1 liter (1 L) 1 liter of coke

1 liter (1 L)

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

1 milliliter (1 mL or 1 ml)

1 kiloliter (1kL or 1 kl) About the capacity of 4 bathtubs

Temperature: Base unit in the metric system is the Celsius. The degree of hotness or coldness of something Base unit in the metric system is the Celsius.

degree Celsius (°C)

What would you use to measure: the length of a car? the length of your desk? the mass of your pencil? the mass of a teenager? the capacity of a school milk carton? the capacity of a swimming pool?

What would you use to measure: the length of a car? - meter the length of your desk? - centimeter the mass of your pencil? - gram the mass of a teenager? - kilogram the capacity of a school milk carton? - centiliter the capacity of a swimming pool? - kiloliter

In the metric system, each of the common kinds of measure – length, weight, capacity Each has one basic unit of measure To measure smaller amounts, divide the basic unit into parts of ten, a hundred, or a thousand, and so on.  To measure larger amounts, multiply the basic unit by ten, a hundred, or a thousand, and so on.  

1 kilogram (kg) = 1000 grams (g) 1 milligram (mg) = .001 gram (g)  Length: 1 kilometer (km) = 1000 meters (m) 1 centimeter (cm) = .01 meter (m) 1 millimeter (mm) = .001 meter (m)   Capacity: 1 milliliter = .001 liter (l) Weight: 1 kilogram (kg) = 1000 grams (g) 1 milligram (mg) = .001 gram (g) Kilo  means thousand (1000) Hecto means hundred (100) Deca means ten (10) Deci means one-tenth (1/10) Centi means one-hundredth (1/100) Milli means one-thousandth (1/1000)  

Kilo hecto deca UNIT deci centi milli When making metric conversions, arrange the prefixes from largest to smallest: Kilo   hecto   deca   UNIT   deci  centi  milli   

King Henry Died by drinking Choc Milk Another way to remember might be King Henry Died by drinking Choc Milk Kilo   hecto   deca   UNIT   deci  centi  milli