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Why the Metric System Matters

Total questions: 8

Worksheet time: 9mins

Name
Class
Date
1.

Before the Middle Ages, most countries used the same measurement system

a)

True

b)

False

2.

NASA crashed a spaceship into Mars because they used the wrong conversion units

a)

True

b)

False

3.

What historical event was pivotal in the adoption of a unified measurement system?

a)

The 1918 Flu Epidemic

b)

The French Revolution

c)

The 1846 Potato Famine

d)

World War I

4.

What defines our current ‘standard’ for one meter?

a)

The length of a pendulum arm that takes 1 second to swing from left to right

b)

The distance equal to 1/10,000,000 the distance between the Equator and North Pole

c)

The distance light travels in a tiny fraction of a second

d)

The distance a 1 kilogram object travels in one second when acted on by a force of 1 newton

5.

The word meter derives from a Greek word that means:

a)

Global

b)

Stride

c)

Hearth

d)

Measure

6.

Which of the following is NOT an advantage of the metric system?

a)

It helps to streamline trade between different countries

b)

It has been officially adopted by every country around the globe

c)

It provides a common language to discuss scientific data

d)

It is based on measurements from the world itself and not arbitrary standards

7.

What circumstances during the French Revolution permitted the metric system to gain a foothold?

4 lines
8.

Why hasn’t the United States of America switched to the metric system yet?

4 lines