LABORATORY 2 -- THE METRIC SYSTEM
During this assignment, you will make careful measurements using the International System of Measurement (SI, Le Systèm International d'Unitès), commonly called the metric system. SI has been adopted as the official system of measurement by most countries and is used by scientists worldwide. In addition, the United States is increasing its use of metric units. You encounter SI units every day. For example, you may purchase soda in half-liter bottles; you may own 7-mm pearls or a 35-mm camera; your automobile may have a 2.2 liter engine; or you may take a 325-mg aspirin for a headache.
The units and divisions of SI are given in the following tables. Length is measured in meters, mass in grams, volume in liters, and temperature in degrees Celsius. The basic units (meter, liter, gram, Celsius) are the starting point of the metric system. From this point, there are two directions we can go: (1) smaller than the unit indicated by using a subunit prefix, and (2) larger than the unit indicated by using a superunit prefix. If this is the first time you have studied the metric system, it may seem complicated, but SI is actually much easier to learn than the customary U.S. system because it is entirely based on a decimal plan, that is, using divisions of ten. For example: 1 decimeter = 10 centimeters = 100 millimeters.
Quantity / Metric unit / Symbol / EquivalentMass / Gram / g / 1 g = 0.0022 pound
Length / Meter / m / 1 m = 3.280 feet
Volume / Liter / l / 1 l = 1.057 quarts
Temperature / Celsius / °C / 1°C = 1.89°F
If you want to convert grams to pounds, multiply the number of grams by 0.0022. If you want to convert pounds to grams, divide the number of pounds by 0.0022. If you want to convert meters to feet, multiply the number of meters by 3.28. If you want to convert feet to meters, divide the number of feet by 3.28. If you want to convert liters to quarts, multiply the number of liters by 1.057. If you want to convert quarts to liters, divide the numbers of quarts by 1.057. If you want to convert degrees Celsius to degrees Fahrenheit, use this formula: °F = (°C x 1.8) + 32. If you want to convert degrees Fahrenheit to degrees Celsius, use this formula: °C = (°F - 32) / 1.8
Prefix / Symbol / Value / ExampleSuperunits -- make units larger
Mega- / M / One million / 1,000,000 = 106 / 1 megameter (Mm) = 106 m
Kilo- / k / One thousand / 1,000 = 103 / 1 kilogram (kg) = 103 g
Hecto- / h / One hundred / 100 = 102 / 1 hectogram (hg) = 100 g
Deka- / da / Ten / 10 = 101 / 1 decaliter (dal) = 10 l
Subunits -- make units smaller
Deci- / d / One tenth / 0.1 = 10-1 / 1 deciliter (dl) = 0.1 l
Centi- / c / One hundredth / 0.01 = 10-2 / 1 centimeter (cm) = 0.01 m
Milli- / m / One thousandth / 0.001 = 10-3 / 1 milligram (mg) = 0.001 g
Micro- / m / One millionth / 0.000001 = 10-6 / 1 micrometer (mm) = 10-6 m
Nano- / n / One billionth / 0.000000001 = 10-9 / 1 nanometer (nm) = 10-9 m
To convert metric units to English units:
Current Units / Conversion Factor / Units you wantgrams / 0.0022 / pounds
meters / 3.28 / feet
liters / 1.057 / quarts
degrees Celsius / 1.8 (then add 32) / degrees Fahrenheit
Example 1: Bob says he weighs 80,000 grams. How many pounds does he weigh? Your current units are in grams. You want to convert this to pounds. Therefore, you need to multiply the number of grams, but the conversion factor of 0.0022, to determine the number of pounds. 80,000 grams X 0.0022 = 176 pounds
Example 2: In Europe, it is 22°C today. How many degrees Fahrenheit is it? In this example, you want to convert your current units (degrees Celsius) into degrees Fahrenheit. You multiply the temperature in the current units (22) by the conversion factor (1.8) and then add 32, to obtain the degrees in Fahrenheit = 72.8°F.
To convert English units to metric units:
Current Units / Conversion Factor / Units you wantpounds / 453.59 / grams
feet / 0.3048 / meters
quarts / 0.946 / liters
degrees Fahrenheit / subtract 32, then x 0.556 / degrees Celsius
Example 1: You have measured that you need 400 feet of fence for your backyard, but the supply Lowe's only sells it in meters. How many meters will you need to purchase. Take your measurement in your current units, multiply it by the conversion factor, and that will give you the measurements in your desired units. 400 feet X 0.3048 = 122 meters.
Example 2: You accidentally bought an oven thermometer with units in Celsius instead of Fahrenheit. Your mother-in-law is coming over and you want the turkey to be perfect. You are supposed to cook the turkey for 4 hours at 350°F. What temperature would that be in degrees Celsius. Subtract 32 from 350, and multiply than number by 0.556 to get 176°C.
To convert one metric unit to another:
Current Units / Conversion Factor / Units you wantmega / 1,000 / kilo
mega / 10,000 / hecto
mega / 100,000 / deka
mega / 1,000,000 / base unit
mega / 10,000,000 / deci
mega / 100,000,000 / centi
mega / 1,000,000,000 / milli
mega / 1,000,000,000,000 / micro
mega / 1,000,000,000,000,000 / nano
kilo / .001 / mega
kilo / 10 / hecto
kilo / 100 / deka
kilo / 1,000 / base unit
kilo / 10,000 / deci
kilo / 100,000 / centi
kilo / 1,000,000 / milli
kilo / 1,000,000,000 / micro
kilo / 1,000,000,000,000 / nano
hecto / .0001 / mega
hecto / .1 / kilo
hecto / 10 / deka
hecto / 100 / base unit
hecto / 1,000 / deci
hecto / 10,000 / centi
hecto / 100,000 / milli
hecto / 100,000,000 / micro
hecto / 100,000,000,000 / nano
deka / .00001 / mega
deka / .01 / kilo
deka / .1 / hecto
deka / 10 / base unit
deka / 100 / deci
deka / 1,000 / centi
deka / 1,000,000 / milli
deka / 1,000,000,000 / micro
deka / 1,000,000,000,000 / nano
deci / .0000001 / mega
deci / .0001 / kilo
deci / .001 / hecto
deci / .01 / deka
deci / .1 / base unit
deci / 10 / centi
deci / 100 / milli
deci / 100,000 / micro
deci / 100,000,000 / nano
base unit / .000001 / mega
base unit / .001 / kilo
base unit / .01 / hecto
base unit / .1 / deka
base unit / 10 / deci
base unit / 100 / centi
base unit / 1,000 / milli
base unit / 1,000,000 / micro
base unit / 1,000,000,000 / nano
centi / .00000001 / mega
centi / .00001 / kilo
centi / .0001 / hecto
centi / .001 / deka
centi / .01 / base unit
centi / .1 / deci
centi / 10 / milli
centi / 10,000 / micro
centi / 10,000,000 / nano
milli / .000000001 / mega
milli / .000001 / kilo
milli / .00001 / hecto
milli / .0001 / deka
milli / .001 / base unit
milli / .01 / deci
milli / .1 / centi
milli / 1,000 / micro
milli / 1,000,000 / nano
micro / .000000000001 / mega
micro / .000000001 / kilo
micro / .00000001 / hecto
micro / .0000001 / deka
micro / .000001 / base unit
micro / .00001 / deci
micro / .0001 / centi
micro / .001 / milli
micro / 1,000 / nano
nano / .000000000000001 / mega
nano / .000000000001 / kilo
nano / .00000000001 / hecto
nano / .0000000001 / deka
nano / .000000001 / base unit
nano / .00000001 / deci
nano / .0000001 / centi
nano / .000001 / milli
nano / .001 / micro
Example 1: You have one liter of milk. How many milliters would you have? How many decaliters would you have? To convert liters (a base unit) to milliliters, multiply the number of units (1 of liters) by the conversion factor (1000) to get the number of milliters (1000). To determine the number of decaliters, multiply the number of units (1 liter) by the conversion factor (.1) to obtain the number of decaliters you have (=.1). Note: Base units are the basic units (meters, liters, grams) without any prefixes (e.g., not millilters, decaliter, kilogram, etc.)
Example 2: A jewler offers to sell you 1000 nanograms of gold for $300. Convert this to grams to see if you have a good deal or not. 1000 nanograms X .000000001 (the conversion factor) = .000001 g (not a good deal).
1. Centimeter = ______m
2. 0.001 m = ______cm
3. Kilometer = ______m
4. Milligram = ______g
5. ______kg = 1,000 g
6. Milliliter = ______l
7. Water freezes at ______°C and boils at ______°C.
8. Body temperature is usually about ______°C.
9. A textbook is ______cm x ______cm.
10. My height is ______m or ______cm and my weight is ______kg or ______g.
11. Lead melts at 620°F. Convert this temperature to Celsius.
12. What is the room's temperature in degrees Celsius?
13. Albert Einstein loved ice cream! Would he rather have 1 kg of Rocky Road or 10,000 mg?
14. Place a decimal point so that the statements are reasonable.
a) Barry is 1545 cm tall.
b) The ambulance sped by at 10000 km per hour.
c) A pop bottle holds 320 ml.
15. Perform the following conversions:
1.5 mm = ______mm / 1,000 nm = ______mm0.25 mm = ______mm / 1,500 mm = ______mm
55 nm = ______mm / 7.5 mm = ______nm
1.5 cm = ______mm = ______mm / 109 mm = ______m
5,000 nm = ______mm = ______mm / = ______cm
16. Measure the diameter of the circle to the nearest millimeter. This circle is ______mm = ______mm = ______nm
17. Record the following (if a thermometer is not available, you should make your best estimate in degrees Fahrenheit, then convert to degrees Celsius):
a) Room temperature = ______°C = ______°F.
b) Outdoor temperature = ______°C = ______°F.
c) Ice water = ______°C = ______°F.
d) Hot tap water = ______°C = ______°F.