The Metric System 

By now you know the base units of the metric system: meters for length, liters for liquid volume, and grams for mass. However, larger and smaller objects may need to use larger or smaller units. Scientists use certain measurements depending on the magnitude of what is being measured. For example, if you want to measure the length of something very long (like the distance from one city to another), you should use kilometers. If you want to measure the length of something small (like a thumbtack), you are better off using millimeters. Same goes for mass and volume--kilograms and kiloliters are used for very massive objects that take up a lot of space, but less massive, smaller objects will be measured in units on the right side of the diagram. “Average” sized measurements like your height, a bottle of soda, and a piece of fruit are all measured using the base units (meters, liters, and grams).

Look at the diagram and follow the steps to make conversions in the metric system.

Convert within the metric system:

1. Determine your starting position along the "ladder".
2. Count the "jumps" to your ending position.
3. Move the decimal point the same number of jumps in the same direction.

Say you want to convert 13.6 hectoliters to centiliters. It takes 4 "jumps" to the right to go from the hecto step to the centi step. Therefore, you must move the decimal point 4 places to the right. 13.6 hectoliters is equal to 136,000 centiliters.

"King Henry Doesn’t Usually Drink Chocolate Milk" is an acronym that can be used to remember the order of measurements. The first letter of each word corresponds to each prefix. For example, "King" represents "kilo," "Henry" represents "hecto," and so on. The "Usually" refers to the base Unit, as in meters, liters, and grams.

Let’s practice converting within the metric system! Use the diagram or the acronym to help you. Answer the questions below and then click on each box to check your work.