THE METRIC SYSTEM

1. THE METRIC SYSTEM LENGTH, MASS & CAPACITY

2. COMMON CORE STANDARDS • 6.MD.1. Convert among different-sized standard measurement units within a given measurement system (e.g., convert 5 cm to 0.05 m), and use these conversions in solving multi-step, real world problems.

3. OBJECTIVES Students will be able to: • Use metric units of length, mass and capacity • Choose appropriate units for length, mass, and capacity • Use a mnemonic device to help remember the order of the metric system

4. DID YOU KNOW Lost in space In September 1999, the United States lost the Mars Climate Orbiteras it approached Mars. The loss of the $125 million spacecraft was due to scientists confusing English units and metric units. Two spacecraft teams, one at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab (JPL) in Pasadena, CA, and the other at a Lockheed Martin facility in Colorado, where the spacecraft was built, were unknowingly exchanging some vital information in different units. The missing Mars Climate Orbiter

5. DID YOU KNOW Lost in space The spacecraft team inColoradoused English units of pounds of force to describe small forces needed to adjust the spacecraft’s orbit. The data was shipped via computer, without units, to the JPL, where the navigation team was expecting the to receive the data in metric measure. The mix-up in units led to the JPL scientists giving the spacecraft’s computer wrong information, which threw the spacecraft off course. This in turn led to the spacecraft entering the Martian Atmosphere, where it burned up. The missing Mars Climate Orbiter

6. So… • Is it important to know what units you are using? • What might happen if you don’t use the same measuring system?

7. The Metric System Basics • The metric system is a measurement system based on our decimal (base 10) number system. • Other countries (besides the United States) and all scientists and engineers now use the metric system for measurement.

8. The Metric System Basics • The metric system is based on a base unit that corresponds to a certain kind of measurement • Length = meter • Volume = liter • Weight (Mass) = gram • Prefixes plus base units make up the metric system • Example: • Centi + meter = Centimeter • Kilo + liter = Kiloliter

9. MetriThe Metric System Basicsc System • The three prefixes that we will use the most are: • kilo • centi • milli

10. What is the order of the metric system? • King Henry Died by Drinking Chocolate Milk • King: Kilo • Henry: Hecto • Died: Deca • By: Base (m, L, g) • Drinking: Deci • Chocolate: Centi • Milk: Milli

11. Metric System: Length • So if you needed to measure length you would choose meter as your base unit • Length of a tree branch • 1.5 meters • Length of a room • 5 meters • Length of a ball of twine stretched out • 25 meters

12. - Basic Unit of Length: Meters • Meters measure length or distance • One millimeter is about the thickness of a dime.

13. Basic Unit of Length: Meters • One centimeter is about the width of a large paper clip • or your fingernail.

14. Basic Unit of Length: Meters • A kilometer is about six city blocks or 10 football fields. • 1.6 kilometers is about 1 mile

15. Metric System: Mass • So if you needed to measure mass you would choose grams as your base unit • Mass of a dollar bill • 1 gram • Mass of a plastic ziploc bowl • 5 grams • Mass of an average novel or book • 120 grams

16. Basic Unit of Mass: Gram • Grams are used to measure mass or the weight of an object.

17. Basic Unit of Mass: Grams • A milligram weighs about as much as a grain of salt.

18. Basic Unit of Mass: Grams • 1 gram weighs about as much as a small paper clip. • 1 kilogram weighs about as much as 6 apples or 2 pounds.

19. Metric System: Capacity • So if you needed to measure capacity (always liquids) you would choose liters as your base unit • Capacity of a bottle of water • 1 liter • Capacity of a gallon of milk • Approximately 3.79 liters

20. Basic Unit of Capacity: Liters • Liters measure liquids or capacity. • If you are ever measuring any type of LIQUID, you need to use the base unit of liters to measure. 2 Liter Soda

21. Basic Unit of Capacity: Liters • 1 milliliter is about the amount of one drop

22. A kiloliter would be about 500 2-liter bottles of pop Basic Unit of Capacity: Liters

23. What unit would you use to measure each of the following items?

24. Which unit would you use to measure the length of this bicycle? km m cm mm

25. Which unit would you use to measure the mass of a penny? km g cL mg

26. Which unit would you use to measure the water in an aquarium? L m cL mg

27. Which unit would you use to measure the mass of a feather? L m cL mg

28. Which unit would you use to measure the mass of a student desk? kg g cL mg

29. Which unit would you use to measure the mass of a whole watermelon? kg g cL mg

30. Which unit would you use to measure the mass of an egg? kg g mm mg

31. Which unit would you use to measure a can of soup? Soup kL L mm mL

32. Which unit would you use to measure this glass of milk? kL L cL mL

33. Which unit would you use to measure the distance across Michigan? km m cm mL

34. Which unit would you use to measure the height of a tree? km m cm mm

35. Which unit would you use to measure the length of a bracelet? km m cm mm

36. Classwork: • Use this interactive to identify Units of Measurement Homework: Reteaching/Practice 9.1 HO