Think Ahead 1
Metric System
To prepare for the next week of class, you should fully understand and be able to answer the
following questions. You can check your answers with the answer key posted on your
instructor’s website or O drive to be sure you are correct. You can get help with this work from:
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your instructor during office hours
the Algebra Alcove in Jones 147
the MAC (the Math Assistance Center) in BH 700
online tutorials such as http://www.aaamath.com/mea.html#topic50
1. Write each term in the appropriate blank: gram, liter, meter
In the metric system, the standard unit for length is the ______________. The standard unit for
volume is the ____________, and the standard unit for mass is the ______________ .
2. Complete the table:
prefix symbol meaning
Giga-
G
Scientific
Example with
Example
Example
notation
length
with volume
with mass
1,000,000,000
kilo-
1,000
103
-----
-----
---
centi-
c
1/100
kilogram
liter
centimeter
10-3
milliu
1/1000000
p
1/000000000000
10-6
milliliter
milligram
micrometer
nano-
3. Convert each of the following:
picogram
4. Convert each of the following:
a. 1 meter to centimeters
a. 15 nanometers to micrometers
b. 10 liters to milliliters
b. 350 milligrams to grams
c. 10 milliliters to nanoliters
c. 7.5 micrometers to millimeters
d. 20 micrometers to nanometers
d. 350 milligrams to kilograms
5. Fill in the blanks: When converting one quantity to an equivalent quantity in smaller units
(e.g. liters to milliliters) move the decimal to the ____________ . When converting one quantity
to an equivalent quantity in larger units (e.g. micrometers to millimeters) move the decimal to
the ____________ .
6. Circle the smaller quantity in each pair. Do not use a calculator.
a) 10 millimeters; 10 micrometers
b) 10 millimeters; 1000 micrometers
c) 75 nanograms; 7.5 micrograms
d) 1500 milliliters; 1 liter
e) 0.75 milliliters; 7.5 centiliters
7. Circle the larger quantity in each pair. Do not use a calculator.
a) 10 mm; 10 um
b) 10 um; 100 nm
c) 60 pg; 600 ng
d) 15 ml; 1500 L
e) 3.5 mg; 0.35 g