Understanding Metric Systems
Understanding Metric Systems
Understanding Metric Systems
Meter is the unit of measuring distances and lengths. We use this unit in
our daily life, for example, the distance between school and
home, length of cloth, etc.
You may have noticed that there is a weight mentioned in the bag of
your favourite snack. For example, 250 grams of potato chips. Here,
gram is the unit of weight.
Similarly, on the bottle of your favourite beverage,
there’s volume mentioned (for example, 250 milliliters of cola). Here,
milliliter is the unit of volume.
Related Games
Conversion Tables for Metric Units of Capacity Game
Conversion Tables for Metric Units of Length Game
Conversion Tables for Metric Units of Weight Game
Convert Metric Units of Capacity Game
Convert Metric Units of Length Game
Convert Metric Units of Weight Game
Decimal Conversions for Metric Units of Capacity Game
Decimal Conversions for Metric Units of Length Game
Decimal Conversions for Metric Units of Weight Game
Estimate Capacities in Metric Unit Game
Metric Units
The units for length, weight (mass) and capacity(volume) in the metric system
are:
Weight: Gram (g) and Kilogram(kg) are used to measure how heavy an object
is, using instruments.
Examples include measuring the weight of fruits or our own body weight.
Capacity: Milliliter (ml) and Liter (l) are used to measure how much quantity of
liquid an object can hold.
Metric Conversions
The metric system is a system of measurement that uses the meter, liter, and
gram as base units of length (distance), capacity (volume), and weight (mass)
respectively.
To measure smaller or larger quantities, we use units derived from the metric
units.
The given figure shows the arrangement of the metric units, which are
smaller or bigger than the base unit.
The units to the right of the base unit are smaller than the base unit. As
we move to the right, each unit is 10 times smaller or one-tenth of the
unit to its left. So, a ‘deci’ means one-tenth of the base unit, ‘centi’ is
one-tenth of ‘deci’ or one-hundredth of the base unit and ‘milli’ is one-
tenth of ‘centi’ or one-hundredth of ‘deci’ or one-thousandth of the
base unit.
The units to the left of the base unit are bigger than the base unit. As we
move to the left, each unit is 10 times greater than the unit to its right.
So, a ‘deca’ means ten times of the base unit, ‘hecto’ is ten times of
‘deca’ or hundred times of the base unit and ‘kilo’ is ten times of ‘hecto’
or thousand times of the base unit.
Here’s how we can multiply or divide for making metric conversions. To
convert a bigger unit to a smaller unit, we move left to right, we multiply by
10. Moving right to left, from smaller units to bigger, we divide by 10.
The Metric System in Our Daily Life
We use the metric system in our daily life in many ways. Let us look at some
everyday examples of the metric system.
Water in a tank or a liquid in a container is measured in liters. It is the
metric unit of volume.
When we travel in a vehicle, we measure the distance travelled in meters
or kilometers.
When we buy groceries, they are measured in weight units such as
grams and kilograms.
The US Standard Units or the Customary/Imperial System units.
Answer: Meters and kilometers are units used to indicate length or distance.