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Metric Conversions

The metric system or International System of Units (SI) is based on seven base units for seven base quantities that are mutually independent. The quantities are: length (meter), mass (kilogram), time (second), electric current (ampere), thermodynamic temperature (Kelvin), amount of substance (mole) and luminous intensity (candela). All other units are derived from the base ones.

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Prefix Symbol Factor yotta Y 1024 = 1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 zetta Z 1021 = 1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 exa E 1018 = 1,000,000,000,000,000,000 peta P 1015 = 1,000,000,000,000,000 tera T 1012 = 1,000,000,000,000 giga G 109 = 1,000,000,000 mega M 106 = 1,000,000 kilo k 103 = 1,000 hecto h 102 = 100 deka da 101 = 10 deci d 10-1 = 0.1 centi c 10-2 = 0.01 milli m 10-3 = 0.001 micro µ 10-6 = 0.000,001 nano n 10-9 = 0.000,000,001 pico p 10-12 = 0,000,000,000,001 femto f 10-15 = 0.000,000,000,000,001 atto a 10-18 = 0.000,000,000,000,000,001 zepto z 10-21 = 0.000,000,000,000,000,000,001 yocto y 10-24 = 0.000,000,000,000,000,000,000,001

Power of 10 Video (2 min) Florida State University

Staircase Tutorial from http://www.behsscience.com/flash/metric3.html

Look at the prefix you have and count how many steps you need to get to the prefix you want.

Then move the decimal that many steps and in the same direction to convert the number to the new unit.

Example  52 mm to km

starting at milli it is 6 steps to the right to get to kilo

move the decimal six places to the left

so 52 becomes 0.000052km

Try these conversions using the staircase. Highlight the box to the right to reveal the answers.

Metric System  Metric conversions  Accuracy Precision Dimensional Analysis Scientific Notation  Significant Figures  Significant Figures in Calculations  Density

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