1. Notes 40
Metric Measurements

3. Additional Example 1: Choosing the Appropriate Metric Unit
Choose the most appropriate metric unit for each measurement. Justify your answer.
A. The amount of water a runner drinks each day
Liters—The amount of water a runner drinks each day is similar to the amount of water in a large water bottle.
B. The length of a boat
Meters—The length of a boat is similar to the length of several doorways.
C. The mass of a car
Kilograms—The mass of a car is similar to the mass of several hundred textbooks.

4. Check It Out: Example 1
Choose the most appropriate metric unit for each measurement. Justify your answer.
A. The amount of liquid in 10 teardrops
B. The mass of a pencil eraser
C. The length of 15 soccer fields

5. Reading Math
Prefixes:
Milli- means “thousandth”
Centi- means “hundredth”
Kilo- means “thousand”
To convert metric units, multiply or divide by a power of 10. Multiply to convert to a smaller unit and divide to convert to a larger unit.

6. Additional Example 2A: Converting Metric Units
Convert the measure.
530 cL to liters
100 cL = 1L, so divide by 100.
530 cL = (530 ÷ 100) L
Move the decimal point 2 places left: 530.
= 5.3 L

7. Additional Example 2B: Converting Metric Units
Convert the measure.
1,070 g to milligrams
1 g = 1000 mg, so multiply by 1000.
1,070 g = (1070  1000) mg
Move the decimal point 3 places right: 1,070,000.
= 1,070,000 mg

8. Check It Out: Example 2A
Convert the measure.
980 dm to meters

9. Check It Out: Example 2B
Convert the measure.
580 g to centigrams

10. Additional Example 3: Using Unit Conversion t to Make Comparisons Elizabeth purchases one pumpkin that weighs 3 kg and another that weighs 2,150 g. Which pumpkin weighs more? Use estimation to explain why your answer makes sense.
You can convert the mass of Elizabeth’s pumpkin to grams.
1 kg = 1000 g, so multiply by 1,000.
3 kg = (3  1,000) g
Move the decimal point 3 places right:
= 3,000 g
2,150 g is about 2 kg. Since 2 kg < 3 kg, Elizabeth’s 3 kg pumpkin weighs more.

11. Check It Out: Additional Example 3
Tyesha purchases a bag of potatoes that weighs 2.5 kg and another bag that weighs 3,850 g. Which bag weighs more? Use estimation to explain why your answer makes sense.