Using metric Units to Measure Length

1. Using metric Units to Measure Length

2. The metric system is similar to the ______________ system • Ex: there are ____ pennies in a dime; _____dimes in a dollar; _____ dollars in a $10 bill. • The metric system is based on a system of 10

3. Using meters • For larger items, the metric system uses length in meters • A meter is a little bit larger than a yard • A meter is about the length from the tip of your finger to the tip of your nose • (You know you want to try it!) • The abbreviation for meter is m • A period is not used with abbreviations for metric units

4. Using meters • A common tool for measuring length is a meterstick A meterstick is divided into equal units called centimeters. There are 100 centimeters in a meter The abbreviation for centimeter is cm.

5. Using meters • Sometimes even a centimeter is to larger and you need a smaller unit, called a millimeter There are 10 millimeters (mm) in each centimeter. A meter has 1000 mm

6. Using meters • Sometimes you need a larger unit for distances, like to use to measure from here to your house. • While we would talk about this distance in miles using the customary system, the metric system uses kilometers (km).

7. Length Equivalents

8. Some metric prefixes