can you help me learn the metric system?

Question

please help?

Answer 1

It's easy--easier than the standard system used in the US.

You have three basic units of measure, second for time, meter for distance, kilogram for mass (which is similar to weight--weight is the force a mass is drawn toward the earth, and is proportionate to weight until you compare objects that aren't subject to the same gravity.) There are other units, like liter for volume, and other specialized units for scientific purposes, but let's skip those for now.

You need to learn the prefixes--they modify the basic measurements. I'll use meter, but the same rules apply to other measurements. If you want a unit bigger than meter, you can add the prefix kilo- (one thousand) to make kilometer. If you want something smaller, the prefix milli- (one thousanth) or nano (one millionth) describes that. There is a whole list of prefixes you could look up, but those are the most common.

The reason the metric system is better is that once you learn how it works, converting units is common sense, not a chart you have to look up or memorize. (If you want to know how many meters are in a kilometer--it's obviously 1000, if you want to know how many feet are in a mile, you have to know or look up that it is 5280 feet.) Another reason is that the metric system is based on water. If you take a cube that is 100mm on each side, and fill it with water, it will be 1000 cubic centimeters, one liter, and one kilogram. No need to look up the density of water--it's one.

And to make it so you understand how big these things are:
One meter is slightly less than a yard. One liter is slightly less than a quart. One kilogram is .42 pounds.

Answer 2

The metric system is based on 10s and 100s. You need to go onto the internet and find out all the names and stuff but that's all i can tell you!

Answer 3

The metric system is really pretty easy. Get a table of metric names from the internet and start learing. You might want to get a conversion table too so you can relate sizes, weights and such to the English systerm. That way you'll know if something is heavy or a long way off.

If you weigh 95 pounds, you'd better start eating. If you weigh 95 kilograms, you'd better start dieting.

Answer 4

Very very easy system. The one we use in Australia, the whole world should be on it its that simple. It is based on units of 10 and is worth learning but only if those around you use it too, its too much trouble to keep converting back to the imperial system.

Answer 5

its like this:
1km =10 hectometers (hm)
1hm =10 decameters (dam)
1dam =10 meters (m)
1m =10 decimeters (dm)
1dm =10 centimeters (cm)
1cm =10 millimeters (mm)

1. to convert it from a small unit to a bigger one just move the decimal point to left or vise versa

example: 2.5m = 0.25dam
10 000mm = 0.10 000km

Answer 6

think in tens
start with your base unit - gram, meter, litre.....

to convert

multiply base by 10 deci(base)
multiply deci by 10 (base by 100 or 10x10) centi(base)
multiply centi by 10 (base by 1000 or 10x10x10) milli(base)

divide base by 10 deca(base)
divide deca by 10 (base by 100 or 10x10) hecto(base)
divide hecto by 10 (base by 1000 or 10x10x10) kilo(base)



1000 kilo 1500 meters = 1.5 kilometers
100 hecto 1500 meters = 15 hectometers
10 deca 1500 meters = 150 decameters
1 (base) 1500 meters = 1500 meters
.1 deci 1500 meters = 15000 decimeters
.01 centi 1500 meters = 150000 centimeters
.001 milli 1500 meters = 1500000 millimeters