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Metric Measurements
Additional Example 1: Choosing the Appropriate
Metric Unit
Choose the most appropriate metric unit for
each measurement. Justify your answer.
A. The amount of water a runner drinks each
day
Liters—The amount of water a runner drinks each
day is similar to the amount of water in a large
water bottle.
B. The length of a boat
Meters—The length of a boat is similar to the
length of several doorways.
C. The mass of a car
Kilograms—The mass of a car is similar to the
mass of several hundred textbooks.
Check It Out: Example 1
Choose the most appropriate metric unit for
each measurement. Justify your answer.
A. The amount of liquid in 10 teardrops
B. The mass of a pencil eraser
C. The length of 15 soccer fields
Reading Math
Prefixes:
Milli- means “thousandth”
Centi- means “hundredth”
Kilo- means “thousand”
To convert metric units, multiply or divide by a power of
10. Multiply to convert to a smaller unit and divide to
convert to a larger unit.
Additional Example 2A: Converting Metric Units
Convert the measure.
530 cL to liters
530 cL = (530 ÷ 100) L
= 5.3 L
100 cL = 1L, so divide
by 100.
Move the decimal point
2 places left: 530.
Additional Example 2B: Converting Metric Units
Convert the measure.
1,070 g to milligrams
1,070 g = (1070  1000) mg
= 1,070,000 mg
1 g = 1000 mg, so
multiply by 1000.
Move the decimal
point 3 places right:
1,070,000.
Check It Out: Example 2A
Convert the measure.
980 dm to meters
Check It Out: Example 2B
Convert the measure.
580 g to centigrams
Additional Example 3: Using Unit Conversion
t
to Make Comparisons
Elizabeth purchases one pumpkin that weighs
3 kg and another that weighs 2,150 g. Which
pumpkin weighs more? Use estimation to
explain why your answer makes sense.
You can convert the mass of Elizabeth’s pumpkin
to grams.
1 kg = 1000 g, so multiply
3 kg = (3  1,000) g
by 1,000.
Move the decimal point 3
= 3,000 g
places right: 3.000.
2,150 g is about 2 kg. Since 2 kg < 3 kg,
Elizabeth’s 3 kg pumpkin weighs more.
Check It Out: Additional Example 3
Tyesha purchases a bag of potatoes that
weighs 2.5 kg and another bag that weighs
3,850 g. Which bag weighs more? Use
estimation to explain why your answer makes
sense.