1. Meters, Grams and Liters
The Metric System
Meters, Grams and Liters

2. The Metric System
The metric system is a measurement system based on our decimal (base 10) number system.
Other countries and all scientists and engineers use the metric system for measurement.

3. Metric Prefixes Prefix Symbol Factor Number Factor Word Kilo- k 1000
Metric Units
The metric system has prefix modifiers that are multiples of 10.
Prefix
Symbol
Factor Number
Factor Word
Kilo- k
1000
Thousand
Hecto- h
100
Hundred
Deca-
da or dk 10
Ten
Unit
m, l, or g 1
One
Deci- d .1
Tenth
Centi- c
.01
Hundredth
Milli- m
.001
thousandth

4. Place Values of Metric Prefixes
Thousand
Hundred
Ten
One
Tenth
Hundredth
Thousandth km kg kL hm hg hL
dkm
dkg
dkL m g L dm dg dL cm cg cL mm mg mL

5. This is how it looks on a staircase chart.

6. Why use the SI System? Scientists use the SI System worldwide because:
Measurements are easily understood by all scientists
Measurements are easier to convert than the English system

7. Why use the SI System?
There are two systems of measurement
US/Customary System which we use here
Then there is the metric system which is used all over the world.
In the U.S. we use the English or Standard System, most of the rest of the world uses the Metric or SI System.
The SI (International System of Units) system is the form of measurement typically used by scientists.

8. Basic Types of Measurement
Length: measures distance between objects
Volume: measures the amount of space something takes up
Mass: measures the amount of matter in an object
Weight: how much something weighs

9. Basic Types of Measurement
Other Types of measurement include:
time
temperature
density PH

10. Metric Measurement: Length
Length is the distance between two points.
Does not matter if it is width, height, depth, etc. All are length measurements.
The basic unit of length in the SI System is the meter.
The meter is about the length of the English yard (3 feet).
Area is a variation of a length measurement.
Area is length x width.
Expressed in units2 (m2, cm2, mm2 etc.)

11. Metric Measurement: Mass
Mass is a measurement of the amount of matter in an object.
Basic unit of mass is the gram. There are 454 grams in one pound.
Weight and mass are related, but NOT the same.
Weight is the pull of gravity on an object
The greater the mass, the larger the pull of gravity.

12. Metric Measurement: Volume
Volume is a measurement of the amount of space something takes up.
The basic unit used for volume is the liter. This unit is used for the volumes of liquids.
Volumes of solids are figured using this formula:
(L)ength x (W)idth x (H)eight
cm x cm x cm = cm3
Objects without a definite length, width or height (a rock for example), can use water displacement to determine volume NOTE: 1 ml = 1 cm3

13. Metric Measurement: Temperature
Temperature is a measure of the kinetic energy of the atoms in an object.
Temperature is measured with a thermometer and measured in Celsius or Kelvin.
Celsius ranges from 0 (freezing) to 100 (boiling).
The Kelvin scale begins at absolute zero, or 0 K. At 0 Kelvin no more heat can be removed from an object.
To convert to Kelvin you add 273 degrees to the Celsius reading.
Freezing in Kelvin is 273 K, boiling is 373 K.

14. Density is how much matter is in something (mass), compared to the amount of space it takes up (volume).
The formula for density is:
Mass (grams)
Density =
Volume (cm3)
So the unit for density is g / cm3
Every substance has a density, and that density always remains the same.
Density can be used to figure out what an unknown substance is.
The density of water is 1 g / cm3

15. Estimation
Estimation is using your knowledge of something similar in size or amount to determine the size of the new object.
Helps to make a rough measurement of an object.
Usefully when you are in a hurry and exact numbers are not required.

16. Precision and Accuracy
Precision is a description of how close measurements are to each other.
Accuracy is comparing your measurement to the actual or accepted value.

17. Let’s try some more problems.
32 dg = ________ g
8 g = ________ cg
59 g = ________ dag
1 hg = ________ dg
12 hm = ________ km
9 km = ________ dam
7.3 kg = ________ dag
1,600 mg = ________ g
**Make sure you show me your work!!!!

18. Meters Meters measure length or distance
One millimeter is about the thickness of a dime.

19. Meters One centimeter is about the width of a large paper clip
or your fingernail.

20. Meters
A meter is about the width of a doorway

21. Meters A kilometer is about six city blocks or 10 football fields.
1.6 kilometers is about 1 mile

22. Gram
Grams are used to measure mass or the weight of an object.

23. Grams
A milligram weighs about as much as a grain of salt.

24. Grams 1 gram weighs about as much as a small paper clip.
1 kilogram weighs about as much as 6 apples or 2 pounds.

25. Liters
Liters measure liquids or capacity.
2 Liter Soda

26. Liter
1 milliliter is about the amount of one drop

27. Liter
1 liter is half of a 2 liter bottle of Coke or other soda

28. Liter
A kiloliter would be about liter bottles of pop

29. What unit would you
use to measure each of
the following items?

30. Which unit would you use to measure the length of this bicycle?
km m cm mm

31. Which unit would you use to measure the mass of a penny?
km g cL mg

32. Which unit would you use to measure the water in an aquarium?
L m cL mg

33. Which unit would you use to measure the mass of a feather?
L m cL mg

34. Which unit would you use to measure the mass of a student desk?
kg g cL mg

35. Which unit would you use to measure the mass of a whole watermelon?
kg g cL mg

36. Which unit would you use to measure the mass of an egg?
kg g mm mg

37. Which unit would you use to measure a can of soup?
kL L mm mL

38. Which unit would you use to measure this glass of milk?
kL L cL mL

39. Which unit would you use to measure the distance across Kansas?
km m cm mL

40. Which unit would you use to measure the height of a tree?
km m cm mm

41. Which unit would you use to measure the length of a bracelet?
km m cm mm

42. You are totally awesome!

43. Changing Metric Units
To change from one unit to another in the metric system you simply multiply or divide by a power of 10.

44. To change from a larger unit to a smaller unit, you need to multiply.
1 km x 1000 = 1000 m
1 m x 100 = 100 cm
1 cm x 10 = 10mm

45. Place Values of Metric Prefixes
Move the decimal point to the right to multiply.
Thousand
Hundred
Ten
One
Tenth
Hundredth
Thousandth km kL kg hm hL hg
dkm
dkL
dkg m L g dm dL dg cm cL cg mm mL mg

46. Place Values of Metric Prefixes
Thousand
Hundred
Ten
One
Tenth
Hundredth
Thousandth km kg kL hm hg hL
dkm
dkg
dkL m g L dm dg dL cm cg cL mm mg mL

47. To change from smaller units to larger units you divide by a power of ten.
1000mm ÷ 10 = 100cm
100cm ÷ 10 = 10dm
10dm ÷ 10 = 1m

48. Place Values of Metric Prefixes
Move the decimal point to the left to divide.
Thousand
Hundred
Ten
One
Tenth
Hundredth
Thousandth km kL kg hm hL hg
dkm
dkL
dkg m L g dm dL dg cm cL cg mm mL mg

49. Place Values of Metric Prefixeskm kg kL hm hg hL
dkm
dkg
dkL m g L dm dg dL cm cg cL mm mg mL
3km
30hm
300dkm
3000m 4L
30000dm
300000cm
12cm mm

51. Sorry!
That is not the BEST choice!
Try again!

53. You're on a roll!!

54. Thumbs up!

55. You are first rate!!

56. Way to shine!

57. Awesome job!