235
CH 43  METRIC SYSTEM:
THE LITER
The unit of liquid (and gas) volume in the metric
system is the liter, and is abbreviated by the letter
“L”. So a measurement of “7.8 L” means 7.8 liters.
A liter is a little more than a quart. To be a bit more
precise, 1 liter is about the same as 1.06 quarts. So,
for instance, a 2-liter bottle of soda contains a little
over 2 quarts of soda. Therefore, that bottle of soda
A typical can of soda has
would be a little over half a gallon. Gasoline is sold
a volume of 0.354 L.
by the liter in other countries; other uses of the
liter are in wine bottles, car engines, and the amount of oxygen given to
hospital patients.
The liter is a fine unit for a container of Coke or the displacement of an
engine. But it’s way too big to measure the quantity of medicine that is
contained in one dose of eye drops, and it’s way too small to measure
the volume of water in the Pacific Ocean.
Following are the same three prefixes we’ve seen twice before.
Prefix
Abbreviation Meaning
kilo
k
centi
c
milli
m
Example
1,000
1 kL = 1,000 liters
1/100 or
1 cL = 1/100 of a liter
0.01
1/1,000
1 mL = 1/1,000 of a liter
or 0.001
Ch 43  Metric System:
The Liter
236
Here are some examples:
1 kL = 250 L
4
25 cL = 1 L
4
750 mL = 3 L
4
3 kL = 3,000 L
400 cL = 4 L
7,000 mL = 7 L
Homework
1.
A liter is a little more than a ______. In fact, 1 L = _____ qt
2.
Four liters would be a tad more than a ________.
3.
A liter of regular gasoline would cost (more, less) than a gallon of
gasoline (at the same gas station).
4.
A liter is a little (more, less) than 1 gallon.
5.
What is the weight of 5 L of a liquid?
6.
a. 1 kL = _____ L
b. 1 cL = _____ L
c. 1 mL = _____ L
d. 1 L = _____ kL
e. 1 L = ____ cL
f. 1 L = _____ mL
7.
4
How many kL are there in
a. 1000 L
8.
c. 250 L
d. 500 L
e. 750 L
c. 14 L
d. 1 L
e. 3 L
c. 3 L
4
d. 1 L
2
e. 1 L
4
How many cL are there in
a. 1 L
9.
b. 9000 L
b. 3 L
2
4
How many mL are there in
a. 1 L
b. 7 L
Ch 43  Metric System:
The Liter
237
Find a reasonable unit in the Metric System to measure:
10. the amount of blood in the body
11. the amount of penicillin in a syringe
12. the amount of water in a pool
13. the amount of wine in a wine bottle
Choose the measurement which represents the greatest volume:
14. 1 qt
1 pt
1 gal
1L
1 kL
15. 1 qt
1 gal
2L
1,000 mL
100 cL
16. 1 gal
3 qt
6 pt
3L
2,000 mL
17. 30 fl oz
2 pt
1 qt
0.9 L
1,000 mL
Solutions
1.
5.
6.
quart; 1.06
2.
gallon
3.
less
4.
more
It depends on what the liquid is. Remember, a liter of mercury would
weigh about 13 times as much as a liter of water.
a. 1,000
b. 0.01 or 1/100
c. 0.001 or 1/1,000
d. 0.001 or 1/1,000
e. 100
f. 1,000
Ch 43  Metric System:
The Liter
238
7.
a. 1
b. 9
c. 0.25 or 1
4
d. 0.5 or 1
2
e. 0.75 or 3
4
8.
a. 100
b. 300
c. 1,400
d. 50
e. 75
9.
a. 1,000
b. 7,000
c. 750
d. 500
e. 250
10. L
11. mL
12. kL
13. L
14. 1 kL
15. 1 gal
16. 1 gal
17. 1,000 mL
“Educate the child
and it will not be
necessary to punish
the adult.”
 Pythagoras
Ch 43  Metric System:
The Liter