The Metric System Why do we still use

The Metric System

Why do we still use the Old English System? • Traditional U. S. labeling, manufacturing, and industrial measures are obstacles to conversion • Conversions between English units (based on the measures of England’s Henry VIII) is cumbersome and not uniform • Much of the original measures are antiquated, on not used today (drams and grains, furlongs, etc. ) • What other countries use this system?

• 1970 – French Academy of Sciences created a standard for all measures and weights • This ‘System International’ or SI system of measures was both simple (a base 10 system) and scientific (based on planetary measures – unit length is a portion of the Earth’s circumference) History of the Metric System

Base Units Length = The METER Times (x) 1/100 th Times (x) 1000

Base Units Mass = The GRAM Times (x) 1/1000 th Times (x) 1000 The milligram (or 1 mg) is easily converted between distance, volume and mass! 1 cc = 1 m l= 1 g of water

Base Units Volume = The LITER Times (x) 1/1000 th

Base Units Temperature = Degree CELSIUS Celsius to Fahrenheit Cx 9/5 +32=F Body Temperature 370 C Room Temperature 220 C

Metric Prefixes Kilo Hecto Deca BASE deci centi milli (K-) (D-) or M, L, (da) g (d-) (c-) (m-) (H-) 1000 x 10 x LARGER “K ing Henry smaller 1 1/100 t 1/1000 1/10 th h th Died By Drinking