Meters (m), Grams (g), Liters (l), and degrees Celsius (°C)

1. The Metric System Meters (m), Grams (g), Liters (l), and degrees Celsius (°C)

2. The Metric System • The metric system is a measurement system based on our decimal (base 10) number system. • Other countries and all scientists and engineers use the metric system for measurement. • We’re going to start by becoming familiar with the basic metric units of measure.

3. Basic unit of temperature: degrees Celsius (°C) • Temperature scales used in science are typically either Celsius or Kelvin. • In science class we will be using Celsius. • Note: thermometers will have both Fahrenheit and Celsius. Make sure you’re reading the correct scale when collecting data.

4. Basic unit of length or distance: meter (m) • Meters measure length or distance • Commonly used units include: • Millimeter (mm) • Centimeter (cm) • Kilometer (km) (This would be a little less than 45 mph.)

5. Meters • One millimeter is about the thickness of a dime.

6. Meters • One centimeter is about the width of a large paper clip • or the average pinky fingernail.

7. Meters • A meter is about the width of a doorway

8. Meters • A kilometer is about six city blocks or 10 football fields. • 1.6 kilometers is about 1 mile

9. Tools to measure metric length or distance in science • Metric ruler • There are 10 millimeters (mm) in every centimeter (cm)

10. Tools to measure metric length or distance in science • Meter stick – NOT a yardstick. • There are 100 centimeters (cm) in a meter (m). No Yes

11. Basic unit of volume:liter (l) or (L) • Volume is the amount of space that a substance or object occupies, or that is enclosed within a container. • Liters measure liquid volume. • Commonly used units include: • Milliliter (mL) • Kiloliter (kL) 2 Liter Soda

12. Liters • 1 milliliter is about the amount of one drop

13. Liters • 1 liter is half of a 2-liter bottle of Coke or other soda

14. A kiloliter would be about 500 2-liter bottles of pop Liters

15. Tools and methods to measure metric volume in science • Graduated Cylinder

16. Tools and methods to measure metric volume in science • To measure liquid volume, look at the surface of the liquid in the graduated cylinder. The curved line at the top of the liquid is called the meniscus. • Always read the bottom of the curve for accuracy.

17. Tools and methods to measure metric volume in science • What if you wanted to measure a solid object? • If it’s a regular object, you can just use a formula, such as: Length x width x height

18. Tools and methods to measure metric volume in science • If you want to measure the volume of an irregular solid object, you can use the displacement method.

19. Tools and methods to measure metric volume in science • Put water in a beaker or graduated cylinder and measure the volume. • Then place the irregular solid object into the water and measure the volume again.

20. Tools and methods to measure metric volume in science • The difference between the measurement before and after you added the object is the volume of the object. • Again, always read the bottom of the meniscus curve for accuracy.

21. Basic unit of mass: gram (g) • Mass is a measure of how much matter is in an object. • Not the same as weight. Weight is the measure of gravitational pull on an object. • Grams are used to measure mass of an object. • Commonly used units include: • Milligram (mg) • Kilogram (kg)

22. Grams • A milligram has about as much mass as a coarse grain of salt.

23. Grams • 1 gram weighs about as much as a small paper clip. • 1 kilogram weighs about as much as 6 apples or 2 pounds.

24. Tool to measure metric mass in science: • Triple beam balance, also called a gram scale • You can practice using a triple beam balance virtually at: http://www.ohaus.com/input/tutorials/tbb/TBBread.html

25. Metric Prefixes • A prefix is a group of letters added to the beginning of a word that modifies, or changes the meaning of, that word. The metric system has prefix modifiers that stand for multiples of 10. • By adding a metric prefix to one of the base units (meter, liter, or gram), you change the value of that unit. • Example 1: The distance (value) of the base unit meter is 1 meter. But if you add the prefix kilo- to the base unit meter, you now have the unit kilometer. The distance (value) of a kilometer is 1000 meters. • Example 2: The distance (value) of the base unit meter is 1 meter. But if you add the prefix centi- to the base unit meter, you now have the unit centimeter. The distance (value) of a centimeter is 1/100th of a meter, or .01 meters.

26. Metric Prefixes • Good mnemonic device to memorize the prefixes in order: King Henry doesn’t usually drink chocolate milk

27. Converting Metric Units • To convert from one unit to another in the metric system you simply move the decimal point to the left or right as needed. • An easy way to do this is to use the Metric Conversion table.

28. Converting Metric Units

29. Place Values of Metric Prefixes To change from a larger unit to a smaller unit, move the decimal point to the right.

30. Place Values of Metric Prefixes To change from smaller units to larger units, move the decimal point to the left.

31. Which unit would you use to measure the length of this bicycle? km m cm mm

32. Which unit would you use to measure the mass of a penny? km g cL mg

33. Which unit would you use to measure the water in an aquarium? L m cL mg

34. Which unit would you use to measure the mass of a feather? L m cL mg

35. Which unit would you use to measure the mass of a student desk? kg g cL mg

36. Which unit would you use to measure the mass of a whole watermelon? kg g cL mg

37. Which unit would you use to measure the mass of an egg? kg g mm mg

38. Which unit would you use to measure a can of soup? Soup kL L mm mL

39. Which unit would you use to measure this glass of milk? kL L cL mL

40. Which unit would you use to measure the distance across Kansas? km m cm mL

41. Which unit would you use to measure the height of a tree? km m cm mm

42. Which unit would you use to measure the length of a bracelet? km m cm mm

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