Metric System Quick How many feet are there

Metric System Quick! How many feet are there in 3 miles? How many meters in 3 kilometers?

Why use the metric system? • The United States is one of only 3 countries in the world that do not use the metric system • The other two are Myanmar and Liberia • The metric system is also known as the International System of Units • $125 million Mars Climate Orbiter • Tokyo Disneyland Space Mountain

Where does our system come from? • Our system is called the English system, although the English no longer use it. • Foot - was traditionally defined as the length of a man’s foot wearing shoes • Inch - was traditionally defined as the width of a man’s thumb

Where does the metric system come from? • Meter (m) – distance – Originally 1/10, 000 of the distance between the Equator and the North Pole – Now, the distance light travels in 1/299, 792, 458 of a second • Liter (L) – volume – One cubic decimeter • Gram (g) – mass – One kilogram is the weight of one liter of water • All based on unchanging physical constants

Why the metric system is awesome • Everything in the metric system is base ten meaning you just multiply or divide by tens to convert between units. • Ex: 100 m = 10, 000 cm • Ex: 77 kg = 77, 000 g • Ex: 44 m. L =. 044 L

Other Important Scientific Units • Time – seconds • Temperature – Celsius and Kelvin • Amount of chemical substances - mole