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.
3. Metric Prefixes
• Metric Units
• The metric system has prefix modifiers that are multiples of
10.
Prefix Symbol Factor Number Factor Word
Kilo- k 1000 Thousand
Hecto- h 100 Hundred
Deca- da or dk 10 Ten
Unit m, l, or g 1 One
Deci- d .1 Tenth
Centi- c .01 Hundredth
Milli- m .001 thousandth
4. Place Values of Metric Prefixes
Thousand
Hundred
Ten
One
Tenth
Hundredth
Thousandth
km
kg
kL
hm
hg
hL
dkm
dkg
dkL
m
g
L
dm
dg
dL
cm
cg
cL
mm
mg
mL
25. Which unit would you use to
measure this glass of milk?
kL L cL mL
26. Which unit would you use to
measure the distance across
Kansas?
km m cm mL
27. Which unit would you use to
measure the height of a tree?
km m cm mm
28. Which unit would you use to
measure the length of a bracelet?
km m cm mm
29.
30. Changing Metric Units
• To change from one unit to another in the
metric system you simply multiply or divide
by a power of 10.
31. To change from a larger unit to a
smaller unit, you need to multiply.
1 km x 1000 = 1000 m
1 m x 100 = 100 cm
1 cm x 10 = 10mm
32. Place Values of Metric Prefixes
Thousand
Hundred
Ten
One
Tenth
Hundredth
Thousandth
km
kL
kg
hm
hL
hg
dkm
dkL
dkg
m
L
g
dm
dL
dg
cm
cL
cg
mm
mL
mg
Move the decimal point
to the right to multiply.
33. Place Values of Metric Prefixes
Thousand
Hundred
Ten
One
Tenth
Hundredth
Thousandth
km
kg
kL
hm
hg
hL
dkm
dkg
dkL
m
g
L
dm
dg
dL
cm
cg
cL
mm
mg
mL
34. To change from smaller units
to larger units you divide by a
power of ten.
1000mm ÷ 10 = 100cm
100cm ÷ 10 = 10dm
10dm ÷ 10 = 1m
35. Place Values of Metric Prefixes
Thousand
Hundred
Ten
One
Tenth
Hundredth
Thousandth
km
kL
kg
hm
hL
hg
dkm
dkL
dkg
m
L
g
dm
dL
dg
cm
cL
cg
mm
mL
mg
Move the decimal point
to the left to divide.
36. Place Values of Metric Prefixes
km
kg
kL
hm
hg
hL
dkm
dkg
dkL
m
g
L
dm
dg
dL
cm
cg
cL
mm
mg
mL
3km 30hm 300dkm 3000m
4L
30000dm 300000cm
12cm
3000000mm