1. DQ # /18/10
Measure the width of your table with something other than a ruler.
My table width is ____ _____ long. U N I T

2. Measurement-A Common Language
Length

3. English vs. Metric Standard Vs. Metric US units Vs. Metric
Foot = King’s foot
Inch= thumb length
Yard= nose to your tip of your finger

4. Make a T-Chart with Metric units and Standard units
Standard or English units

5. THE METRIC SYSTEM

6. When and why was the metric system invented?
The metric system was invented in 1790
The metric system was invented because countries were using many different systems of measurement causing confusion and lack of consistency

7. Who invented the metric system?
The metric system was invented by a group of French scientists

8. WHY DO WE USE THE METRIC SYSTEM?
Almost all other countries are using the metric system
Other countries’ companies are refusing to buy products from the U.S. if not labeled in metric units
Scientists need a universal way to communicate data (SI Units)

9. Metric System
A system of measurement used by the majority of countries on Earth based on the number 10

10. A Standard Measurement System
The International System of Units (SI)

11. Scientists all over the world use the International System of Units to measure:
Length
Volume
Mass
Density
Temperature
Time

12. APPROXIMATE CONVERSIONS BETWEEN METRIC & US LENGTH UNITS
A meter is about the same length as a yard
A meter is about three feet long
A decimeter is about four inches long
An inch is about 25 millimeters
A foot contains about 30 centimeters
A foot contains about 3 decimeters

13. WHAT DOES THE METRIC SYSTEM MEASURE?
The gram measures mass or how much something weighs
The liter measures volume which is used when measuring liquids
The meter measures the length of an object or the distance from place to place

14. Key Concept: Why do scientists use a standard measurement system?
Using SI as the standard system of measurement allows scientists to compare data and communicate with each other about their results
Using SI measurement also allows experiments to be repeated and most importantly achieve a desired result

15.  : SI units are based on multiples of what number?
Add a zero
Subtract a zero

16. Length

17. What is length?
Length is the distance from one point to another

18. The basic unit of length in the SI system is the …
The basic unit of length in the SI system is the meter

19. The two units that measure the length of smaller objects are, …
millimeter
centimeter

20. THE METRIC CONVERSION CHART (STAIRCASE METHOD)
To convert to a smaller unit, move
decimal point to the right or
multiply.
Kilo
1000
units
Hecto
100
units
Deka 10
units
Basic
Unit
Deci
0.1
units
Centi
0.01
units
Milli
0.001
units
To convert to a larger unit, move
decimal point to the left or divide

21. TRY THIS USING THE STAIRCASE METHOD
1000 mg = ______ g
Step 1: Determine if you are going to go up or down the ladder.
Step 2: Determine how many steps there are from milligrams to
grams.
Step 3: Move the decimal point the amount of places that was
determined in steps 1 & 2.

22. TRY THIS USING THE STAIRCASE METHOD
1000 mg = ______ g 1
Step 1: Determine if you are going to go up or down the ladder.
Step 2: Determine how many steps there are from milligrams to
grams.
Step 3: Move the decimal point the amount of places that was
determined in steps 1 & 2.

23. Metric System
The metric system is based on a base unit that corresponds to a certain kind of measurement
Length = meter
Volume = liter
Weight (Mass) = gram
Prefixes plus base units make up the metric system
Example:
Centi + meter = Centimeter
Kilo + liter = Kiloliter

24. Metric System The three prefixes that we will use the most are: kilo
centi
milli
kilo
hecto
deca
Base Units
meter
gram
liter
deci
centi
milli

25. Metric System
So if you needed to measure length you would choose meter as your base unit
Length of a tree branch
1.5 meters
Length of a room
5 meters
Length of a ball of twine stretched out
25 meters

26. Metric System
But what if you need to measure a longer distance, like from your house to school?
Let’s say you live approximately 10 miles from school
10 miles = meters
16093 is a big number, but what if you could add a prefix onto the base unit to make it easier to manage:
16093 meters = kilometers (or 16.1 if rounded to 1 decimal place)

27. Metric System
These prefixes are based on powers of 10. What does this mean?
From each prefix every “step” is either:
10 times larger or
10 times smaller
For example
Centimeters are 10 times larger than millimeters
1 centimeter = 10 millimeters
kilo
hecto
deca
Base Units
meter
gram
liter
deci
centi
milli

28. Metric System
Centimeters are 10 times larger than millimeters so it takes more millimeters for the same length
1 centimeter = 10 millimeters
Example not to scale 40 41
1 mm 40 41
1 cm

29. Metric System For each “step” to right, you are multiplying by 10
For example, let’s go from a base unit to centi
1 liter = 10 deciliters = 100 centiliters
2 grams = 20 decigrams = 200 centigrams
( 1 x 10 = 10) = (10 x 10 = 100)
(2 x 10 = 20) = (20 x 10 = 200)
kilo
hecto
deca
meter
liter
gram
deci
centi
milli

30. Metric System
An easy way to move within the metric system is by moving the decimal point one place for each “step” desired
Example: change meters to centimeters
1 meter = 10 decimeters = 100 centimeters or
1.00 meter = 10.0 decimeters = 100. centimeters
kilo
hecto
deca
meter
liter
gram
deci
centi
milli

31. Metric System
Now let’s try our previous example from meters to kilometers:
16093 meters = decameters = hectometers = kilometers
So for every “step” from the base unit to kilo, we moved the decimal 1 place to the left (the same direction as in the diagram below)
kilo
hecto
deca
meter
liter
gram
deci
centi
milli

32. Metric System
If you move to the left in the diagram, move the decimal to the left
If you move to the right in the diagram, move the decimal to the right
kilo
hecto
deca
meter
liter
gram
deci
centi
milli

33. Metric System
Now let’s start from centimeters and convert to kilometers
centimeters = 4 kilometers
centimeters = kilometers
kilo
hecto
deca
meter
liter
gram
deci
centi
milli

34. Metric System Now let’s start from centimeters and convert to meters
Now let’s start from meters and convert to kilometers
4000 meters = 4 kilometers
kilo
hecto
deca
meter
liter
gram
deci
centi
milli
Now let’s start from centimeters and convert to meters
4000 centimeters =
40 meters
kilo
hecto
deca
meter
liter
gram
deci
centi
milli

35. Metric System
Now let’s start from meters and convert to centimeters
5 meters =
500 cm
kilo
hecto
deca
meter
liter
gram
deci
centi
milli
Now let’s start from kilometers and convert to meters
.3 kilometers =
300 m
kilo
hecto
deca
meter
liter
gram
deci
centi
milli

36. Metric System
Summary
Base units in the metric system are meter, liter, gram
Metric system is based on powers of 10
For conversions within the metric system, each “step” is 1 decimal place to the right or left
Using the diagram below, converting to the right, moves the decimal to the right and vice versa
kilo
hecto
deca
meter
liter
gram
deci
centi
milli

37. TRY THIS USING THE STAIRCASE METHOD
.15 L = __________ ml

38. TRY THIS USING THE STAIRCASE METHOD
.15 L = __________ ml
150

39. T. Trimpe 2008 http://sciencespot.net/
Practice Time, Now you will complete the worksheet practice using the stair case method
T. Trimpe

40. Figure 1: Calculating - How much larger is a kilo- than a deka-?
100 times

41. Complete the Table Below
Prefix
Meaning
Unit of Length
milli
one-hundredth
meter
one-thousand

42. Complete the Table Below
Prefix
Meaning
Unit of Length
milli
One-thousandth
one-hundredth
meter
one-thousand

43. Complete the Table Below
Prefix
Meaning
Unit of Length
milli
One-thousandth
millimeter
one-hundredth
meter
one-thousand

44. Complete the Table Below
Prefix
Meaning
Unit of Length
milli
One-thousandth
millimeter
centi
one-hundredth
meter
one-thousand

45. Complete the Table Below
Prefix
Meaning
Unit of Length
milli
One-thousandth
millimeter
centi
one-hundredth
centimeter
meter
one-thousand

46. Complete the Table Below
Prefix
Meaning
Unit of Length
milli
One-thousandth
millimeter
centi
one-hundredth
centimeter
none
meter
one-thousand

47. Complete the Table Below
Prefix
Meaning
Unit of Length
milli
One-thousandth
millimeter
centi
one-hundredth
centimeter
none
one
meter
one-thousand

48. Complete the Table Below
Prefix
Meaning
Unit of Length
milli
One-thousandth
millimeter
centi
one-hundredth
centimeter
none
one
meter
kilo
one-thousand

49. Complete the Table Below
Prefix
Meaning
Unit of Length
milli
One-thousandth
millimeter
centi
one-hundredth
centimeter
none
one
meter
kilo
one-thousand
kilometer

50. The longer lines on the metric ruler are called…
centimeters

51. The shorter lines on the metric ruler are called…
millimeters

52.  Reading Checkpoint One centimeter is divided into how many millimeters?
10 millimeters (mm)

53. Figure 2: Calculating: Measure the turtle in figure 2 from the rear of its shell to the tip of its nose. Record its length in both centimeters and millimeters.
10.5 cm
105 mm

54. T. Trimpe 2008 http://sciencespot.net/
Lesson 3: Volume
T. Trimpe

55. English vs. Metric Units
Which is larger?
A. 1 liter or 1 gallon
B. 1 liter or 1 quart
C. 1 milliliter or 1 fluid ounce
1 fl oz = ml
1 12-oz can of soda would equal approximately 355 ml.
1 gallon = 3.79 liters
It would take approximately 3 ¾ 1-liter bottles to equal a gallon.
1 quart = liters

56. Click the image to watch a short video about volume.
Metric Units kL cL mL L
Volume is the amount of space an object takes up.
The base unit of volume in the metric system in the liter and is represented by L or l.
Standard: 1 liter is equal to one cubic decimeter
Metric Units
1 liter (L) = 1000 milliliters (mL)
1 milliliter (mL) = 1 cm3 (or cc) = 1 gram*
Which is larger?
Click the image to watch a short video about volume.
A. 1 liter or 1500 milliliters
B. 200 milliliters or 1.2 liters
C. 12 cm3 or 1.2 milliliters*
* When referring to water Liter Image:

57. Measuring Volume
We will be using graduated cylinders to find the volume of liquids and other objects.
Read the measurement based on the bottom of the meniscus or curve. When using a real cylinder, make sure you are eye-level with the level of the water.
What is the volume of water in the cylinder? _____mL
What causes the meniscus?
A concave meniscus occurs when the molecules of the liquid attract those of the container. The glass attracts the water on the sides.
Top Image: Bottom Image:

58. Measuring Liquid Volume
What is the volume of water in each cylinder?
Images created at A B C
Pay attention to the scales for each cylinder.

59. Measuring Solid Volume
10 cm
9 cm
8 cm
We can measure the volume of regular object using the formula length x width x height.
_____ X _____ X _____ = _____
We can measure the volume of irregular object using water displacement.
Amount of H2O with object = ______ About of H2O without object = ______ Difference = Volume = ______
Click here for an online activity about volume. Choose Lessons  Volume & Displacement

60. English  Metric Conversions
T. Trimpe

61. English & Metric Conversions