Metric Units Notes

In science, we ALWAYS measure objects using the metric system, meaning:

                Length is measured in meters (m)

                Mass is measured in grams (g)

                Volume is measured in liters (L)

We can also make our measurements more precise by using fractions/multiples of these units. The most common are:

              Adding "centi" -- 1/100th of the base unit (example: centimeter = 0.01 meters)

                                       ...add a "c" to the unit. For example, a centimeter is written as "cm"

              Adding "milli" -- 1/1000th of the base unit (example, millimeter = 0.001 meters)

                                      ...add a "m" to the unit. For example, a millimeter is written "mm"

             Adding "kilo" -- 1000 of the base unit (For example, a kilometer  = 1000 meters)

                                      ... add a "k" to the unit. For example, a kilometer is written "km"

Here is an explanation of how to convert between larger and smaller units of measure: