1. Topic: The Metric System Do Now: Calculate the volume of Fe
Topic: The Metric System Do Now: Calculate the volume of Fe. What element is Fe? mass of Fe(s) = 15.9 g density of Fe(s) = 7.87 g/cm3

2. Measurement up to 1790: Not a pretty picture!
Measurement requires standard and until 1790’s every region had own standard

3. Standards “standard: something used as comparison for measuring”
standard must:
be available for everyone to use to check measurements
be something in nature that is same everywhere
never vary

4. Systeme International (SI)
based on metric system
invented in 1790*
Originally, earth-based standards
Volume & mass linked to length
Larger & smaller multiples of each unit related by powers of 10
*updated every few years (particularly in in 1960 and 1991)

5. 1790 – French Academy of Sciences created the metric system
3 Requirements

6. Smaller Units 1/10 of a meter = decimeter (dm)
1/100 of a meter = centimeter (cm)
1/1000 of a meter = millimeter (mm)
Larger Units
10 meters = dekameter (dam)
100 meters = hectometer (hm)
1000 meters = kilometer (km)

7. Prefixes in the SI System
Don’t copy….
where can
you find?
Use
Power
Value
Symbol
Prefix
Gigabyte
109
1,000,000,000 G
Giga
Megamillion
106
1,000,000 M
Mega
kilometer
103
1,000 k
Kilo
decimeter
10-1
0.1 d
deci
centimeter
10-2
0.01 c
centi
millimeter
10-3
0.001 m
milli
micrometer
10-6 
micro
nanometer
10-9 n
nano

8. Fundamental or Base Units
Based on object or event in nature
The SI system has 7 fundamental units

9. 7 Fundamental Quantities of SI
Abbreviation
Name
Quantity m
meter
Length kg
kilogram
Mass s
second
Time K
kelvin
Temperature
mol
Mole
Amount of Substance cd
candela
Luminous Intensity A
ampere
Electric Current

10. Derived Units Combinations of fundamental units Examples:
Speed (meters/second)
Area (Length x Width)
Volume (Length x Width x Height)
Density (Mass / Volume)

11. Prefixes prefixes can be used with all 7 fundamental units! Kilometer
Milliliter
Centigram
Microsecond
Nanokelvin

12. Jefferson
Proposed decimal-based measurement system for United States
Didn’t have prefix idea and system had too many names….and so we are stuck using feet, inches, cups, ounces, etc…

13. What is a second?
originally defined as 1/86,400th of average solar day
Now: defined in terms of electron transitions in Cs-133 (Caesium – an element)

14. What is a meter?
OLD WAY 1790:
1/10,000,000 th of distance from North pole to equator
NEW WAY 1983:
distance light travels in vacuum in 1/299,792,458 th of second

15. What is a Liter? defined as cube measuring 10 centimeters on each side
(1000 cm3)
Liter based on meter, which is based on Earth
10 cm
10 cm
10 cm

16. What is a kilogram? defined as mass 1 Liter water at 4°C Why water?
kilogram is based on liter, which is based on meter, which is based on Earth
10 cm
10 cm
10 cm

17. Prototype kilogram stored in vault in France

19. Kids
Have
Dropped
Dead
Converting
Metric

20. How many jumps does it take?
Ladder Method 1 2 3
KILO 1000 Units
HECTO 100 Units
DEKA 10 Units
DECI 0.1 Unit
Meters Liters Grams
CENTI 0.01 Unit
MILLI Unit
How do you use the “ladder” method?
1st – Determine your starting point.
2nd – Count the “jumps” to your ending point.
3rd – Move the decimal the same number of jumps in the same direction.
4 km = _________ m
Starting Point
Ending Point
How many jumps does it take? 4. 1
__. 2
__. 3
__.
= 4000 m