Measurement
Objective: Explain the relationships between the units having the prefixes
centi, milli,and kilo and the main units gram, metre and litre.
The metric system uses base 10 so conversions within the metric system
result in moving the decimal point forward or backward:
kilo
hecto
deka
deci
centi
milli
-
means
means
means
means
means
means
1000
100
10
1/10
1/100
1/1000
Sometimes the conversion facts are illustrated with metric
stair steps:
kilo
________
) hecto
)________
) deka
)________
)metric base (metre, litre, gram)
)___________
) deci
)_________
) centi
)_________
) milli
)_______
Each time you move down a step you will move the decimal point forward
one place. Consider each of the following:
1 hm = 100 m
1.2 km = 120,000 cm
(you go down two steps)
(you go down five steps)
Each time you climb up a step you move the decimal point backward one step.
Consider each of the following:
1 m = .001 km
12 cm = .00012 km
81 cm = .81 m
3 dm = .0003 km
7 mm = .7 cm
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(you
(you
(you
(you
(you
climb
climb
climb
climb
climb
up
up
up
up
up
three steps)
five steps)
two steps)
four steps)
one step)
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