1. Metric System & Measurement
General Biology

2. Introduction International System of Units, or simply SI.
It’s simple to use.
Factors of 10’s
Fewer base units
It’s standardized!
Prefix shows the relationship of that unit to the base unit.
Prefixes stay the same no matter what the base unit.
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3. Measuring Distance or Length
Base SI unit = meter
Tools used to measure Distance = meter stick, metric ruler, metric measuring tape
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4. Measuring Volume Base SI unit = liter
Tools used to measure volume = graduated cylinders
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5. Questions: Where do you take the reading on a graduated cylinder?
Where must the cylinder be placed to take the reading?
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6. Measuring Mass Base SI unit = gram
Tools = Platform balance, triple beam balance, arm balance
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7. The Metric System BASE UNITS- meter (m), gram (g), liter (l)
PREFIXES: MEANING:
Kilo- (k)  more than base unit
Hecto- (h)  100 more than base unit
Deka- (dk)  10 more than base unit
Deci- (d)  1/10 or 0.1 less than base unit
Centi- (c)  1/100 or 0.01 less than base unit
Milli- (m)  1/1000 or less than base unit
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8. Metric Steps Kilo- (k) move decimal left (/ by 10) hecta- (h)
deca- (dk)
BASE UNIT
deci- (d)
centi- (c)
move decimal right milli- (m)
(X 10)
General Biology

9. Practice Problems 1) 0.092 km = ____________ cm
2) dkm = ____________ hm
3) 98.6 g = ____________ mg
4) hl = ____________ ml
5) dg = ____________ dkg
6) cm = ____________ dkm
7) 29.1 km = ____________ m
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10. Answers!!!
1) 9,200 cm
2) hm
3) 98,600 mg
4) 243 ml
5) dkg
6) dkm
7) 29,100 m
General Biology