Measurement
Using the Metric System in
Science
Do Now:
Where do you ue the metric
system in real life?
The English System
The system of measurement the United
States uses.
n  Uses inches, feet, yards, and miles to
measure length
n  Uses ounces and pounds to measure
mass
n  Uses ounces and gallons to measure
volume
n 
The Metric System
The system of measurement used
around the world not only in science but
in everyday life. (Called Systeme
Internationale…SI)
n  The metric system is based on multiples
of ten, making it very easy to
understand, once you learn the
vocabulary.
n  A metric prefix indicates how many
times a basic unit (meter, liter, or gram)
should be multiplied or divided by ten.
n 
English v. Metric Usage
Liberia
Myanmar
Liberia
Liberia
Some Real-World Examples:
What does it mean when we say a lawyer
makes 150K a year?
n  How do we express the storage capacity
of a computer?
n  How do we describe the clarity of a
digital camera?
n  How do we measure the daily vitamin
allowances that should be in our diets?
n 
Metric Conversions-changing
from one amount to another.
You can use the metric prefixes to
change from one length, mass, or volume
to another in the metric system
n  You can use the acronym:
n 
King Henry Died… by… drinking chocolate milk
to help you with these conversions.
n  Each underlined letter represents a
prefix and “by” represents the basic unit
you are dealing with (gram, meter, liter)
Prefix
Giga
Mega
Kilo
Hecto
Deca
deci
centi
milli
micro
nano
Symbol
Meaning
Multiply Unit by