Metric Conversion Word Problems

Real world metric conversions (Word problems)

Metric in the Real World

• Read the problem

• What units do you need?

• Convert units to one common unit.

• Decide which operation is needed.

• Solve problem

Multiple Choice

What is the first step in solving real world metric problems?

• Decide which operation is needed

• Convert the units to a common unit

• Solve the problem

• Read the question

Example

In Mrs. Boerman's Science lab, the zinnia plant grew 6 cm, while the daisy grew 0.6 m last week, Which plant grew the most?

1. I am going to use cm as my common unit

2. The zinnia will be 6 cm and the Daisy will be 60 cm.

3. I am going to subtract 6 from 60 to get 54 cm.

4. Answer: The daisy grew 54 cm more than the zinnia

Multiple Choice

The Sea Leopard fishing boat has pulled into the harbor with its cargo hold full of crabs. The Captain must let the harbormaster know how much his load weighs using the metric system. What unit should he use to weigh his catch?

• grams

• kilograms

• milligrams

• hectograms