Compare and convert metric units

Learning Objectives Identify the standard metric units for length, mass, and capacity. Recall the relationships between different metric units using prefixes (kilo-, centi-, milli-). Convert larger metric units to smaller metric units (e.g., kilometers to meters, liters to milliliters). Convert smaller metric units to larger metric units (e.g., centimeters to meters, grams to kilograms). Compare measurements given in different metric units after converting them to a common unit. Solve real-world problems involving the comparison and conversion of metric units. Have you ever wondered if a 2-liter bottle of soda is bigger than a 1500-milliliter bottle? 🥤 Or if running 3 kilometers is farther than running 2500 meters? 🤔 In this lesson, you'll learn how to compare and ch...

TermDefinitionExample Metric SystemA system of measurement based on units of 10, used worldwide for length, mass, and capacity. It's easy to convert because you just multiply or divide by 10, 100, 1000, and so on.The meter is a basic unit of length, the gram for mass, and the liter for capacity. LengthThe measurement of how long something is from one end to the other. The basic unit of length in the metric system is the meter (m).A meter stick is about the length of a baseball bat. Other units include kilometer (km), centimeter (cm), and millimeter (mm). MassThe measurement of how much 'stuff' or matter is in an object. The basic unit of mass in the metric system is the gram (g).A paperclip has a mass of about 1 gram. Other units include kilogram (kg). CapacityThe measureme...

Converting Larger Units to Smaller Units To convert a larger unit to a smaller unit, you multiply by a power of 10 (10, 100, 1000, etc.). This makes the number of units larger because smaller units are needed to make up the same total amount. Use this rule when moving down the metric scale (e.g., from kilometers to meters, or liters to milliliters). The number of steps you move down determines the power of 10. For example, 1 km = 1000 m, so to convert km to m, multiply by 1000. General form: `Larger Unit Value × Conversion Factor = Smaller Unit Value` Converting Smaller Units to Larger Units To convert a smaller unit to a larger unit, you divide by a power of 10 (10, 100, 1000, etc.). This makes the number of units smaller because larger units are fewer in number for the sam...