Metric System
All units are based on the power of _________!
TEN
Kilo-
Hecto-
Deka-
Basic
1000
100
10
Unit
Deci.1
Centi.01
Milli.001
•Bold boxes are prefixes you MUST know!
1000
Kilo= __________
.01 or 1/100 Milli= __________
.001 or 1/1000
Centi= __________
The Meter is the basic unit of length in the SI (SI = International
System)
1000
100
2. There are ________________
centimeters in a meter.
1000
3. There are ________________ millimeters in a meter.
1. There are ________________ meters in a kilometer.
The Gram is the basic unit of mass in the SI system (SI = International System)
therefore,
1000
1. There are ________________
grams in a kilogram.
1000
2. There are ________________
milligrams in a gram.
3. There are ________________
milligrams in a kilogram
1,000,000
Try these conversions:
1
1000mg = _________
g
1000
1 kg = _________
g
1600 mm
160cm = _________
14000 m
14km = _________
.109
109g = _________
kg
.25
250m = _________
km
Compare using <,> or =
<
56cm _________
6m
7g _________
698 mg
>
=
1500mg _________
1.5g
=
536cm _________
5.36m
1
Can you name these 3 countries?
US
Liberia
Myanmar
The countries in grey use the metric system!
English Units
Confusing?
Length
 Digit = 3/4 inch
 Furlong= The distance a plough
team could be driven without
rest
 League- Usually three miles.
Intended to be an hour's walk.
Volume
Jigger- 2 mouthfuls
Jack- 2 Jiggers
Jill- 2 Jacks
Cup- 2 Jills
Pint- 2 Cups
Quart- 2 Pints
Pottle- 2 Quarts
Gallon- 2 Pottles
Peck- 2 Gallons
Kenning- 2 Pecks
Bushel- 2 kennings
Cask- 2 Bushels
Barrel- 2 Casks
Hogshead- 2 Barrels
2
Colbert Report
Measurement Unit
-Length and Area Notes-
Definitions
• Length –
• Width –
• Height –
• Diameter- Length of a circle
through its midpoint.
• Radius- Half the diameter
Radius
Diameter
3
Common units used in science - Metric System
Unit
Abbreviation
Equivalent
Millimeter
Centimeter
mm
cm
~1/16th inch
~ 1/2 inch
Meter
Kilometer
m
km
~ 1 yard (3 ft.)
~ .6 mi
Usually we use mm until it’s 1cm long, then we use cm until it’s 1m long and m until
it’s 1 km long.
How to measure:
1. Line up the end of the object with the ruler.
2. Count the total number of centimeters.
3. The # of millimeters last the last cm is the decimal.
Formulas we commonly use (memorize):
Area of a rectangle:
Area of a circle:
Circumference:
A = Length x Width
A = Πr 2
C=Πd
When asked to “show work” you are required to do the following:
1. Write the formula used.
2. Plug the numbers into the formula.
3. Calculate and write the answer.
4. Put units on your answer.
4
Examples:
.4cm
5cm
3.6cm
1. A= L ( W)
1. A= (L)(W)
2. A= 3.6cm x .4cm
2. A= 5cm x 5cm
3. A= 1.44cm2
3. A= 25cm2
Examples:
Find the circumference and area of the circle
Circumference
1. C= Π
Diameter = 5cm
d
Area
1. A= Π
r
2
2. C= (3.14)5cm
2. A= (3.14)(2.5cm)2
3. C= 15.7cm
3. A= 19.625cm2
Volume – Amount of space something takes up
How to Measure Volume
Solids
There are 2 methods:
1. If it is a regular shaped object you can measure with a ruler
and calculate the volume. (This means that there is a math
formula to use)
Formulas:
Volume Box
Volume of a cylinder
1cm
6cm
2cm
8cm
3cm
V=Πr2h
V=lwh
V=(3.14)(3cm)2(8cm)
V=(3cm)(1cm)(2cm)
V=(3.14)(9cm2)(8cm)
V=6cm3
V=226.08cm3
5
Measuring volume of liquids
1. Pour liquid into graduated cylinder
2. The curve formed by the liquid is called the meniscus, always read the bottom
meniscus
11.5ml
Measuring volume of gases
•
Gases take up as much space as you give them so they have no definite
volume. The volume of a gas can change by applying more or less
pressure
Measuring Volume
•Units
•Milliliter (ml)
•Cubic Centimeter (cm3)

Note: 1 ml = 1 cm3 they take up
the same amount of space
If it is an irregular shaped solid use the water
displacement method
1.
2.
3.
4.
Put a quantity of water in a graduated cylinder
Record the volume of water
Add the object, record the volume of the water
Subtract to determine the volume of the object
Example.
You put 55ml of water in a graduated cylinder
Your add a small rock
You read the volume of water – it is 63ml
Subtract to determine the volume of the rock to be 8ml
6
Mass –
the amount of matter in an object
The Law of conservation of matter
1. Matter cannot be created
2. Matter cannot be destroyed
3. Matter can change forms

Units used for measuring mass
Unit
Abbreviation
Equivalent
Kilogram
kg
~2.2 pounds
Gram
g
~mass of a pen cap
Milligram
mg
~ 1/1000th of a gram
Measuring Mass
Triple Beam Balance
rider
beam
pointer
(at zero)
pan
zero knob
Procedure:
1. Slide all riders to zero point. Make sure pointer swings freely
and points to zero.
2. If it does not point to zero adjust it using the zero knob
3. Place object to be measured on the pan. Slide the riders along
the beams until the pointer is at zero
4. Add up the value of each rider to calculate the total mass
7
Measuring Mass
Digital Balance
pan
zero button
display
Procedure:
1. Press the zero button. This sets the balance to zero before you begin
measuring
2. Place object on the balance
3. Read the display to determine mass
4. You can have the balance subtract the mass of a container automatically.
Place the empty container on the balance. Press the zero button. Put your
sample in the container. Place it back on the pan. The mass displayed is the
mass of the sample.
Determine how many grams would be sitting it the pan if the riders were in the
position that they are below.
0
10
0
0
20
30
100
1
2
40
50
200
3
4
60
70
300
5
6
80
90
400
7
8
100
500
9
10
175 g
Total Mass: ______
0
10
0
0
20
30
100
1
2
40
50
200
3
4
60
70
300
5
6
80
90
400
7
8
100
500
9
10
328 g
Total Mass: ______
8
Mass vs. Weight
They are NOT the same thing. Many people use the words interchangeably but they are not the same thing.
Mass –
•How much stuff is in an object.
•Does NOT change with location.
•Measured in grams (g).
Example: The amount of matter in a material is the same no matter where it is.
Weight – •Determined by the amount of mass an object
has and the force of gravity pulling on that
object.
Weight Formula -> Weight = Mass x Gravity
units used = Newtons
Gravity is dependent on:
1) Size of an object
2) The distance from the center of a planet
What happens to your mass and weight at these locations?
(Use >,<. Or =)
>
Gravity on Earth ______ Gravity on Moon
>
=
Weight on Earth ______ Weight on Moon
Mass on Earth ______ Mass on Moon
>
> Weight on Earth
Weight on Jupiter ______
Gravity on Jupiter ______ Gravity on Earth
=
Mass on Jupiter _______ Mass on Earth
9
What happens to your mass and weight at these locations?
(Use >,<. Or =)
<
•Gravity on the mountain top _____ Gravity in the valley
Mountain Top
<
•Weigh on the mountain top ______ Weight in the valley
Valley
Summary:
Mass
Your ___________ never changes
Weight can change
Your ___________
Example: There force of gravity on the moon is
only about 1/6th of the force of gravity on the Earth
(because the moon is much smaller than the
Earth). If you go to the moon your mass is the
same, you still have the same amount of matter (or
stuff) in your body. But because the force of gravity
is less, your weight is about 1/6th of your weight on
Earth.
Force of gravity on Earth = 9.8 m/s2
Force of gravity on Moon = 1.64 m/s2
Weight= Mass x Force of Gravity
Earth
Moon
Your mass
70 kg
70 kg
Your weight
687 N
115 N
Remember: Your mass does not change with location, your weight can
10
Gravity on the Moon
Mass vs. Weight
In the above picture Mr. Arcuri just got done
winning yet another bodybuilding contest. The judges are
weighing him to see if he competed in the proper weight
class. Determine Mr. Arcuri’s weight.
(Hint: He is at sea level and on planet Earth where
gravity equals 9.81 m/s2)
Scale reads= 100kg
100kg
Mr. Arcuri’s Mass is: ___________
981 Newtons
Mr. Arcuri’s Weight is: _________
Mr. Arcuri continues to compete in the
intergalactic bodybuilding competition . His first
competition is at Mount Olympus on Mars. The gravity on
Mars is 3.75 m/s2.
100kg
Mr. Arcuri’s Mass is: ___________
375 Newtons
Mr. Arcuri’s Weight is: _________
On Earth do bodybuilders / wrestlers actually compete in weight classes or mass classes?
Explain.
Mass classes
11
Hammer vs. Feather
in Free Fall
Density
 Amount of matter in a given space
 How compact the molecules are in a substance
density of a substance at a given temperature does not change
1. The
__________________________________________________
•
The density of a tiny speck of gold is the same as a gold coin
•
If I have a bar of aluminum with a density of 2.7g/cm3 and I cut it in
3 pieces, each piece still has a density of 2.7g/cm3.
•
Therefore I can use density to identify an unknown substance by
using a density chart.
2. __________________________________________________
Less dense objects will float in a gas or liquid that is more dense.
•
Ex. helium is less dense than air so helium balloons float.
3. __________________________
Temperature can affect density.
•
As you heat up an object, the molecules expand and move farther
apart, decreasing density.
12
Review Prior to Density
Definition
(In words)
Volume
Amount of
space an
object takes
up.
Mass
Amount of
matter an
object has
Denisty
How much
matter is
squeezed into
a given space.
Formula
V= lwh
V=∏r2h
X
D= m/v
Units
Equipment
used in lab
L, mL, cm3
Graduated
Cylinder
Ruler
Kg, mg, g
Scale
Triple
beam
Mass/volume
g/mL
g/cm3
X
Density
One of the properties of solids, as well as liquids and even gases,
is the measure of how tightly the material is packed together: density.
Density is a measure of how much matter is squeezed into a given space;
it is the amount of mass per unit volume:
Density = Mass
1
Volume
What happens to the density of a chocolate bar when you break it
in two? The answer is, nothing. Each piece may have half the mass, but
each piece also has half the volume. Density is not mass and it is not
volume. Density is a ratio; it is the amount of mass per unit volume. A
pure iron nail has the same density as a pure iron frying pan. The frying
pan may have 100 times as many iron atoms and have 100 times as much
mass, but its atoms will take up 100 times as much space. The mass per
unit volume for the iron nail and the frying pan is the same.
13
Both the masses of atoms and the spacing between atoms
determine the density of materials. Osmium, a hard bluish-white metallic
element, is the densest substance on Earth, even though the individual
osmium atom is less massive than individual atoms of gold, mercury, lead
and uranium. The close spacing of osmium atoms in an osmium crystal
gives it the greatest density. A cubic centimeter of osmium contains more
atoms than a cubic centimeter of gold or uranium.
One of the reasons gold was used as money was that it is one of the
densest of all substances and could therefore be easily identified. A
merchant suspicious that gold was diluted with a less valuable substance
had only to compute its density by measuring mass and dividing by its
volume. The merchant would then compare this value with the density of
gold, 19.3 g/cm3.
Consider this: A man uses a gold nugget (with a mass of 47.9g and a
volume of 3.00 cm3), to buy a suit. Is the nugget pure gold? Compute its
density in the box below.
Density = Mass/Volume
Density = 47.9 grams/ 3.00 cm3
Density = 15.97 g/cm3
Calculating Density
 The formula for density is:
Density = Mass
Volume
 To calculate density first find the mass of the object,
then find the volume. Divide mass by volume to
determine the density.
Example: a cylinder has a radius of 1.5 cm
1.5cm
and a height of 7cm. Its mass is 519.75
grams.
1. Calculate the volume.
V = π r2 h
7cm
V = 3.14 x 1.5cm2 x 7cm
V = 49.5cm3
2. Density = Mass/Volume
Mass = 519.75 g
D = 519.75g / 49.5cm3
D = 10.5 g/cm3
14
Calculate the density of the box below:
15 cm
5 cm
6 cm
Mass = 770 grams
Density = Mass/Volume
D= 770 grams / (15cm x 6cm x 5cm)
D = 770g / 450cm3
Which Element
is this?
D = 1.7 g/cm3
Identifying
Density is known as an ____________property.
Densities of common materials
SOLIDS at 200 C
Substance
Density (g/cm3)
Osmium
22.50
Platinum
21.40
Gold
19.30
Uranium
18.70
Lead
11.30
Silver
10.50
Nickel
8.90
Copper
8.90
Steel
7.90
Iron
7.90
Zinc
7.10
Tin
5.60
Aluminum
2.70
Magnesium
1.7
Pine Wood
0.50
Balsa Wood
0.12
LIQUIDS at 200 C
Substance
Density (g/cm3)
Mercury
13.6
Carbon Tetrachloride
1.57
Chloroform
1.49
Sea Water
1.03
Water (40 C)
1.00
Olive Oil
0.92
Corn Oil
0.92
Turpentine
0.87
Methyl Alcohol
0.79
Ether
0.74
Gasoline
0.69
GASES at 00 C
Substance
Density (g/cm3
Carbon Dioxide
0.00198
Oxygen
0.00143
Air
0.00129
Nitrogen
0.00125
Helium
0.000178
Hydrogen
0.000089
15
Buoyancy
•Force that keeps something afloat
•Objects with lower densities will float on objects of greater
densities.
Man floating on Mercury
Liquids and gases with different densities will separate out. Less
Sink
dense substances will Float and more dense will ________.
Heat affects density
Heat
affects density. As a substance is heated its
molecules move farther and farther apart. Less compact
means less dense.
When heat expands an object
Mass
Volume
increases but
remains the same.
16
What did Indy do wrong?
17