Name: ________________________________
Conceptual Physics
August 25, 2009
Period: ____
Units of Measurement & The Metric System
Key Points:
1. There are two main systems of measurement in the world today, the English or United States
Customary System (USCS) and the Metric System.
2. The English System is used primarily in the United States, while the Metric System is the one
most commonly used by scientists because it uses a decimal system.
3. In the Metric System, basic units (meters, grams, liters, and seconds) are related to smaller or
larger units by factors of ten as indicated by metric prefixes.
Metric Conversions
To convert between units in the metric system:
1. Identify your given unit of measurement.
2. Identify the unit of measurement you are trying to find.
a. Is the unit you are trying to find to the left or right of the given unit?
b. How many steps away (on the chart below) is the unit you are trying to find from the
given unit?
3. Locate the decimal point in the given measurement.
4. Move the decimal in the direction and the number of steps indicated by Step 2 (a) and (b).
Move the decimal point to the RIGHT or multiply
KILO
HECTO
DEKA
1000
units
100 units
10
units
BASIC
UNIT
DECI
CENTI
MILLI
0.1 units
0.01 units
0.001
units
1 unit
Move the decimal point to the LEFT or divide
Practice Problems:
1.) 6700 m = _________ km
2.) 17.45 g = ___________ mg
3.) 4 mL = __________ L
4.) 75 cm = __________ m