What is the METRIC SYSTEM?
International System of Units
Metric System
●System of
units that is internationally recognized and used as a standard of measurement
●Why?
○Imagine a
world without a standard of internationally recognized units. A scientist from
Australia communicates with a scientist from America, that a lab procedure
requires 10 spoonfuls of water. Depending on the size of spoon the Australian
scientist used, the American scientist will not be able to reproduce 10
spoonfuls of water accurately using any spoon. There needs to be a standard or an agreed upon basis of
measurement.
Metric Units
●Scientists
all around the world came together and agreed on a standard
for measuring different things. These are
called metric units.
●We also
call this system the System of
International Units.
Examples of Metric Units
●Unit of time = second
●The metric
unit to measure time is seconds.
●Seconds is
abbreviated as s
●Example: 10
seconds, 30 seconds, 60 seconds
●Unit of length = meters
●The metric
unit to measure length is meters.
●Meters is
abbreviated as m
●Example: 1
meter, 2 meters, 10 meters
●Unit of mass = gram
●The metric unit to measure mass is gram.
●gram is
abbreviated g
●Example: 1 g, 50 g, 200 g
●Unit of temperature = Kelvin
●The metric unit to measure
temperature is Kelvin
●Kelvin is abbreviated K
●Example: 5 K, 10 K, 15 K
●Unit of area = meters squared
●The metric unit to measure area is
meters squared.
●meters squared is abbreviated m2
●Example: 1 m2, 11 m2, 100 m2
●Unit of volume (of a
solid) = meters cubed
●The metric unit to measure volume is meters cubed.
●meters cubed is
abbreviated m3
●Example: 1 m3, 11 m3, 100 m3
●Unit of volume (of
a liquid) = Liters
●The metric unit to measure volume is
Liters.
●Liter is abbreviated
L (capitalized!)
●Liter is capitalized to avoid
confusion with the number 1 (example: 1 L)
●Example: 5 L, 25 L, 200 L
**BONUS! 1 mL = 1 cm3***
