Metric Measure & Prefixes

Metric Measure

• The metric system is used to measure length, mass, and capacity.
• Each type of measurement has a base unit: meter for length, gram for mass, and liter for capacity.

Length Measurement

• The base unit of length is the meter, which is about the length of a guitar.
• To measure lengths larger than a meter, multiply by 10 and add a prefix to the word 'meter'.
• To measure lengths smaller than a meter, divide by 10 and add a prefix to the word 'meter'.
• Example: decimeter is one-tenth of a meter.

Mass Measurement

• The base unit of mass is the gram, which is approximately the weight of two paper clips.
• To measure masses larger than a gram, multiply by 10 and add a prefix to the word 'gram'.
• To measure masses smaller than a gram, divide by 10 and add a prefix to the word 'gram'.
• Example: decagram is 10 grams.

Capacity Measurement

• The base unit of capacity is the liter, which is about the same as a quart of milk.
• To measure capacities larger than a liter, multiply by 10 and add a prefix to the word 'liter'.
• To measure capacities smaller than a liter, divide by 10 and add a prefix to the word 'liter'.
• Example: hectoliter is 100 liters.

Converting Units

• To convert between units, move the decimal place to the left (for larger units) or right (for smaller units) and change the prefix.
• Example: 1 deciliter converts to 0.001 hectoliters by moving the decimal place three places to the left.
• Example: 1 kiloliter (1,000 liters) converts to 10,000 decaliters by moving the decimal place two places to the right.

Learn about the metric system, its base units, and how to measure length using prefixes and meters.