Measuring Matter and Metric
Conversions
Why is SI (metric system) so
useful to scientists?
One major advantage of the metric
system is that it uses the decimal
system, where all units are related to
smaller or larger units by dividing or
multiplying by 10.
Metric System
SI System of Measurement
• Originally established in France1790
• 1960 – Revised version called SI
• International System of Units (Le
Systé́me International d’ Unités
• The orderliness of this system
makes it useful for scientific work
and it is used by scientists all over
the world.
Conversions
• 1 inch = 2.54 cm
• 1 foot = 30.5 cm
• 1 meter = 1.0963 yards
• 1 kilometer = 0.60 miles
• 1 kilogram = 2.2 pounds
• 1 ounce = 28.3 grams
• 1 liter = 1.06 quarts
SI Base Units
Are there
any other SI
Base Units?
Measuring Matter
Length
Mass
Volume
Temperature
Metric Ruler
Balance
Electronic Scale
Graduated Cylinder
Thermometer
Meter
1.0963 yd
Gram
28.3 g = 1 oz.
Liter
1.06 qt.
Degrees Celsius
C = 5/9 (F-32)
F = 9/5 C + 32
Kilo
103
Hecto
102
Deka
101
Basic
100
meter
gram
Liter
106
Mega = M
103
102
101
100
1000 Kilo = k
100 Hecto = h
10 Deka = da
1 Basic = m meter
g gram
L liter
1/10 Deci = d
1/100 Centi = c
1/1000 Milli = m
10-1
10-2
10-3
10-6 millionth
10-9 billionth
Micro = u
Nano = n
Deci
10-1
Centi
10-2
Milli
10-3
Conversions
Move the Decimal Along the Ladder
• Convert 10g to kg
• Convert 1 000mL to L
• Convert 14 000mm to km
Making Conversions with
Conversion Factors
• When converting one unit into another, a conversion factor
is incredibly useful, but can be a little tricky.
Multiply your original value by a fraction that shows the
relationship of the unit you start with to the unit into
which you are changing.
For example:
Convert 157 centimeters (cm) into meters (m).
157 cm x
1m/100cm = 1.57 m
Units of Volume to Know
• Volume – space occupied by any sample of
matter
• Length x Width x Height
• Derived by units of length (meter)
• 10 cm x 10 cm x 10 cm =1000 cm3 =1L
• 1 dm = 10 cm
• 1000 cm3 = 1 dm3 = 1 L
• Milliliter and cubic centimeter are used
interchangeably (1 mL = 1cm3)