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When you are finished this tutorial, you will
be able to:
Identify the basic units in the metric system
Gain an understanding of why the metric
system (SI units) is used in world of science
Manipulate the ladder to convert metric
units
Demonstrate your ability to convert basic
metric system problems
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The metric system provides a universal language for measurement that can be
understood regardless of where you are from or what language you speak. It
was designed to be easy to use.
The Metric System had its beginnings back in 1670 by a mathematician called
Gabriel Mouton. The modern version, (since 1960) is correctly called
"International System of Units" or "SI“.”
Not only is it used by scientists throughout the world, but most nations have
adopted it as their standard of measurement.
The metric system is based on a base unit that corresponds to a certain kind of
measurement. Each prefix that is added to the base unit is built on a power of
10.
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Each property of matter has a “root” word that is the “base” measurement for
that property.
If you needed to measure length you would choose meter as your base unit. You
can measure how long things are, or how tall, or how far apart they are. How tall
are you? How long is a football field? How far is it to your school? How far is the
earth from the sun? How big is that little paramecium you saw under the
microscope in science class? All of these questions ask how long something is,
but the answer in each case is very different.
If you needed to measure weight you would choose gram as your base unit. The
gram is today the most widely used unit of measurement for non-liquid
ingredients in cooking and grocery shopping worldwide.
If you needed to measure volume you would choose liter as your base unit.
Liquids are measured in liters.
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The metric system provides units of
measurement for length, volume, mass,
time, and temperature. It builds these
units using a basic unit and a set of
prefixes.
To change the value of the “root” (to
make it bigger or to make it smaller) you
add a prefix. To make it bigger, you will
multiply by a factor of ten. To make it
smaller, you will divide by a factor of ten.
For example, linking the prefix “kilo” to
the basic unit meter gives you the
kilometer, which means 1,000 meters.
Similarly, linking the prefix “milli” to the
basic unit liter gives you the milliliter,
which means 0.001 (one thousandth) of
a liter. These prefixes can be added to
all the base units.
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You can use this simple drawing to convert any metric measurement to another
metric measurement. Think of it as a set of stairs having 7 steps that go down in
value from left to right.
Acronym to remember the order
King Henry Died
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Drinking
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Chocolate Milk
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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
41
40
1 cm
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Follow these 4 simple steps and you will be converting in no time!
Step 1 – Write down the number you want to convert
Step 2 – Determine the number of “steps” to the new measurement
Step 3 – Now move your decimal the same number of places and in
the same direction you “stepped”
Step 4 – Rewrite your new number nice and neat
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For each “step” to right, you are multiplying by 10
For example, let’s go from something large to something small: base unit meter
to “centi”
1 meter = 10 decimeters = 100 centimeters
OR
1.00 meter = 10.0 decimeters = 100.0 centimeters
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Now let’s go from something small to something large by trying our previous
example from meters to kilometers:
16093 meters = 1609.3 decameters = 160.93 hectometers = 16.093 kilometers
So for every “step” from the base unit meter to “kilo”, we moved the decimal 1
place to the left
the same direction as in the diagram below
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Try these conversions, using the ladder method.
1) 2000 mg = _______ g
6) 5 L = _______ mL
11) 16 cm = _______ mm
2) 104 km = _______ m
7) 198 g = _______ kg
12) 2500 m = _______ km
3) 480 cm = _____ m
8) 75 mL = _____ L
13) 65 g = _____ mg
4) 5.6 kg = _____ g
9) 50 cm = _____ m
14) 46.3 cm = _____ mm
5) 8 mm = _____ cm
10) 5.6 m = _____ cm
15) 120 mg = _____ g
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1) 2 g
6) 5,000 mL
11) 160 mm
2) 104,000 m
7) .198 kg
12) 2.500 km
3) .480 m
8) .075 L
13) 65,000 mg
4) 5,600 g
9) .50 m
14) 463 mm
5) .08 cm
10) 560 cm
15) .120 g
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