(SOL) Metrics Lesson

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Metrics

What is the difference between a gallon and a liter? An inch or a meter?

Did you know that Burma, Liberia, and the United States are the only 3 countries that have not adopted the International System of Measurement (SI System of Measurement)? Why do you think that is? Why should you study the SI System of Measurement if we do not use it in our everyday life?

At the end of this lesson, you should be able to answer these questions and understand why the International System of Measurement is essential to the scientific community.

Using the SI System of Measurement

Are you surprised that the countries in RED are the only ones that DO NOT USE the SI system of measurement?

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Why Do We Need a System of Measurement?

Scientists need a common system of measurement so they can share and compare data. The Metric System (also known as the International System of Measurement, or "SI") has been around since 1790. Since that time, researchers have gladly embraced it when collecting data and performing experiments. What makes it so popular among scientists? To begin with, it is remarkably easy to use. The metric system is a decimal system of measurement whose units are based on multiples of 10.

Let's start by reviewing the basic units of metric measurement below. This table has been adapted from the US Metric Association (USMA):

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*mass is often confused with "weight"; mass is a measure of the amount of matter in an object whereas weight is the force of gravity on that object (Weight = Mass x Gravity)

What's an SI Prefix?

We can use the metric system to help us out! All measurements in the metric system are expressed as multiples of ten. If you can count to, multiply, and divide by 10, you can use this measurement system.

First, you need to know your SI prefixes. You would put one of these prefixes in front of a base unit (table above) to express that it is a division or multiple of that base number. Study the table below:

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So How Can We Convert?

Knowing how to convert between different metric amounts as we did in the example above, is an important science skill. Watch the tutorial below to learn how to do some metric conversion problems.

Metrics Challenge and Before You Go

Practice Time! Use the knowledge you learned from the lesson to complete the practice activities below.

Before You Go You Need To Know

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The following key points are from the explore section of the lesson. You must know the following information before moving to the next lesson. This is just a summary of the key points.

 

1. Reasons why the International System of Measurement (SI) is important.

  • Communication with people around the world; easy to convert because it uses a decimal-based system

2. What are the basic units of metric measurement and what do they measure?

  • Meter (length); Mass (grams);
  • Volume (liters); Time (seconds);
  • Temperature (Celsius);
  • Area (meters squared);
  • Cubic Volume (centimeters cubed)

3. How to do metric conversion problems

  • Example: 1 meter = 100 centimeters

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