Metric StairsHow to do Metric Conversions

Metric System

•System of measurement.

•Designed to be easy to use and universal. (built on powers of ten)

•Correct name is the “International System of Units”( or SI for short).

Built on a RootEach property of

matter has a root word that is the base measurement for that property.

For example:Grams (g) are for

massLiters (L) are for

volumeMeters (m) are for

distance

Add a PrefixTo change the value of the root (make it bigger

or smaller), you add a prefix

Smaller Milli (m) – 1/1000 of the root (1000 times smaller) Centi (c) – 1/100 of the root (100 times smaller) Deci (d) – 1/10 of the root (10 times smaller)

Bigger Deka (dk) – 10 times bigger than root Hecto (h) – 100 times bigger than root Kilo (k) – 1000 times bigger than root.

Easy Conversions

kilo-

hecto-

deka-

Unit root

deci-

centi-

milli-

•You can use this simple drawing to convert any metric measurement to another metric measurement.•The stairs have 7 steps going down left to right • Acronym to remember their order“King Henry Doesn’t Usually Drink Chocolate Milk”

King

Henry

Doesn’t

Usually

Drink

Chocolate

Milk

How does it work?

kilo-

hecto-

deka-

root

deci-

centi-

milli-

•First, identify the prefixes you are being asked to convert between.•Example: “Convert 2.345 cm into hectometers”•cm is centimeters and change is to hectometers.

How does it Work?

kilo-

hecto-

deka-

root

deci-

centi-

milli-

•Next draw out the stairs.•Third, put a mark on the starting prefix (centi in our example problem)

How does it Work?

kilo-

hecto-

deka-

root

deci-

centi-

milli-

•Fourth, “walk” up/down the stairs to the prefix you are converting to (hecto in our example)•Count the number of steps you traveled and note direction as either left or right.

1

4

3

2

Left

How Does it WorkNow go to the original number (2.345) and

move the decimal point the same direction and number of “steps” as you did on the stairs.

2.345

4 spaces left

0.0002345hm