The Metric System

Why Should I Use the Metric System?

Metric System Customary System

Multiplying and Dividing by 10 is quick and easy!

Multiplying or dividing by 8, 12, 16, 36, 5280, etc… takes longer!

Meters, Liters, Grams

Pint, Quart, Gallon, Pounds, Ounces, Tons, Inches, Feet, Yards, Miles

Nearly every country in the world uses it!

The United States is about the ONLY country in the world that is still using it!

Decimals Fractions

Have You Ever Lost $125,000,000?

MARS POLAR LANDER PAGE

Mix up between Metric and Customary Units

Thrust Calculations are inaccurate

NASA Mars Polar Lander burns up on entry in December 2000.

Just 3 cm to the left….

Yup.. 3 in to the left….

METER, LITER, GRAM

• METER = LENGTH

• LITER = VOLUME

• GRAM = MASS

Metric System…….NEW AND IMPROVED

Meter

Liter

Gram

DEKA-

HECTO-

KILO-

DECI-

CENTI-

MILLI-

Base

10

1/100

1/10

100

1000

1/1000

Move the Decimal to the RIGHTMove the Decimal to the LEFT

Larger to Smaller

Smaller to Larger

Let’s Try a Few…….

1) 1 kg =____g

2) 1 L =_______mL

3) 1 km =_______m

4) 1 m =_______cm

Let’s Try a Few…….

1) 100 g =____kg

2) 2200 mL =_______L

3) 8.9 km =_______m

4) 5 kg =_______g

Think of a meter stick….

Divide it into 100ths and you have ________.

Divide it into 1000ths and you have_________.

Take 1000 meter sticks in a row and you have ______.

Must know!

• Kilo= 1000 x• There are 1000 meters in a kilometer

or 1000 grams in a kilogram

• Centi= 1/100. There are 100 cm in a meter

• Milli= 1/1000. There are 1000 milligrams in a gram or 1000 mL in a liter.

Metric System Links

• Units of Measurement

• History of Metric System in the US

• Metric Prefixes

• The EVIL, EVIL Customary System