The Metric System

​

The International System (of units)
“The Metric System”

​

​The International System (of units)
"The Metric System"

A measurement is a quantitative observation consisting of TWO parts:

Part 1:

Numerical Value

Part 2:

Scale (unit of measure)

A Note on Measurements

The Fundamental SI Units
(le Système International, SI)

Physical Quantity

Name

Abbreviation

Mass

kilogram

kg

Length

Meter

m

Time

Second

S

Temperature

Kelvin

K

Electric Current

Ampere

A (amp)

Amount of Substance

mole

mol

Luminous Intensity

candela

cd

SI Prefixes
(Common to Chemistry & Physics)

Prefix

Unit Abbr.

Exponent

Kilo

k

103

Deci

d

10-1

Centi

c

10-2

Milli

m

10-3

Micro

μ

10-6

kilo

hecto

deka

Base
Unit

deci

centi

milli

g, m, l

How to remember it?

103

102

101

10-1

10-2

10-3

Metric Conversions

​‘King Henry died by drinking chocolate milk.’

kilo

hecto

deka

Base
Unit

deci

cent
i

mill
i

g, m, l

103

102

101

10-1

10-2

10-3

Metric Conversions

•

Conversions in the metric system are
merely a matter of moving a decimal point.
The “base unit” means that you have a
quantity (grams, meters, liters, etc.)
without a prefix.

kilo

hecto

deka

Base
Unit

deci

cent
i

mill
i

g, m, l

103

102

101

10-1

10-2

10-3

Metric Conversions

Example #1: Convert 18 liters to milliliters.

kilo

hecto

deka

Base
Unit

deci

cent
i

mill
i

g, m, l

103

102

101

10-1

10-2

10-3

Metric Conversions

Example #1: Convert 18 liters to milliliters.

18 L

1

2

3

18 liters = 18 000
milliliters

kilo

hecto

deka

Base
Unit

deci

cent
i

mill
i

g, m, l

103

102

101

10-1

10-2

10-3

Metric Conversions

Example #2: Convert 450 milligrams to grams.

kilo

hecto

deka

Base
Unit

deci

cent
i

mill
i

g, m, l

103

102

101

10-1

10-2

10-3

Metric Conversions

Example #2: Convert 450 milligrams to grams.

450 mg

1

2

3

450 mg = 0.450 g

kilo

hecto

deka

Base
Unit

deci

cent
i

mill
i

g, m, l

103

102

101

10-1

10-2

10-3

Metric Conversions

Example #3: Convert 20 kilograms to milligrams.

kilo

hecto

deka

Base
Unit

deci

cent
i

mill
i

g, m, l

103

102

101

10-1

10-2

10-3

Metric Conversions

Example #3: Convert 20 kilograms to milligrams.

20 kg

1

2

3

4

5
6

20 kg = 20 000 000 mg