1. The metric system is based on units of 10 Uses prefixes to tell how big or small the unit is Metric System

2. 3 units for Measurement gram: mass –Example: sack of sugar meter: length –Example: football field liter: volume –Example: Coke bottle

3. Metric System Prefixes Kilo: x 1,000 –This means that 1 Kilo is 1,000 times bigger than 1 unit Example: 2 Kiloliters is 1000 times bigger than 2 liters Centi: 1 / 100 –This means that 1 centi is only 1 / 100 of 1 unit Example: 5 centimeters is 1 / 100 of 5 meters Milli: 1 / 1,000 –This means that 1 milli is 1 / 1,000 of 1 unit Example: 8 milligrams is 1 / 1,000 of 8 grams

4. King Henry Died Monday Drinking Chocolate Milk K H D meter d c m kilo- liter centi- milli- gram

5. Converting to a smaller unit When converting to a smaller unit you multiply –Example: 2 m = ______ cm Since the metric system is based on units of 10, all you have to do when you multiply is add the correct number of zeros. “Big to small, multiply them all!”

6. Converting to a larger unit When converting to a larger unit you divide –Example: 5 cm = ______ m When you are dividing all you have to do is move the decimal to the left the correct number of spaces. “Small to big, divide the pig!”