This document provides an introduction to the metric system. It explains that the metric system is used internationally and is based on multiples of 10. The key units covered are meters, centimeters, millimeters, liters and grams. Examples are given to help understand the relative sizes of these units. Students practice converting between units and measuring common objects. They complete a lab activity measuring smiles to reinforce learning about metrics.

1. The ABC’s of Science
Day 1: Intro to Physical Science
Metric Introduction
Metrics: Length

2. What is Physical Science?
• Physical science is the study of matter and
energy.
• The universe is composed of matter.
• Your body, this paper, and your desk are
matter.
• In physical science, you will learn the
properties of metals, water, air, and many
other kinds of matter.

3. What are we learning this year?
• We will be looking at 3 different
areas of physical science:
– Chemistry
– Physics
– Space Science

4. Why do I have to know this stuff?
• Imagine humans when they first had fire, when
they first made wheels, when they first
established where they were going by looking at
the stars.
• How did the things we consider basic - heat,
light, navigation, transportation, entertainment
- ever come to be?
• The answers all touch on physics and chemistry.
• Chemistry tells us how to make things and what
things are made of.
• Physics tells us how and why things move.

5. The ABC’s of Science
• Before we start with Chemistry, we
need to cover a few basic, but very
important, areas of science.
• I call them the ABC’s.
• In other words, without the ABC’s,
nothing makes sense.

6. What are the ABC’s of Science?
A. The Metric System
B. Safety
C. The Scientific Method

7. Let’s talk Metric
• Here in America we use ye olde English
system: foot, yard, and mile.
• However, MOST countries use another
system called the International System of
Units or the SI system (which stands for
Système Internationale d’Unités)
• This is the modern form of the metric
system.

8. It all depends on the foot!
• Numbers and units are used
to make measurements.
• The distance from your
desk to my desk could be
25 shoe lengths or 30 shoe
lengths.
• It depends on how big the
shoe is.
• Think of Shaq’s foot versus
Mini-Me.

9. It all depends on the foot!
• In order to measure accurately, we have
to use standard units.
• In other words, everyone has to use the
SAME system or units.
• Otherwise, it just gets confusing.
• A standard is a fixed quantity used by
everyone when measuring.

10. Advantages to the
Metric System
There are two advantages to using the
metric system:
1. It helps scientists share & compare their
results & observations.
• If I conducted an experiment here in America,
even a scientist in Zimbabwe would be able to
understand my measurements.
2. All units are based on the number 10.
• Changing from one unit to another is easy!

11. 1. Metric Measurement

12. Math-terpiece Theater
BrainPop: Metric vs. Customary

16. Still Confused???
• OK, let’s get this as simple as we
can.
• We are going to look at all of our
metric measurement units as two-
part words.
• The first part is the PREFIX.
• The second part is the type of
UNIT.

17. Part 1: the PREFIX
Prefix Symbol Meaning
kilo-
centi-
milli-
micro-
k
c
m
µ
1000 (1 thousand)
0.01 (1 one-hundredth)
0.001 (1 one-thousandth)
0.000001 (1 one-millionth)
•Here are the main prefixes
•You need to memorize these, since you will
see them for the rest of your life!

18. Here are the rest of the prefixes…
you’ll have to know all of these :) just kidding!

19. Part 2: the UNIT
What are we
measuring?
Unit Symbol
Length
Volume
Mass
Temperature
meter
liter
gram
Kelvin
m
l
g
K
Here are some of the most important units,
and you need to memorize these too.

20. Try this…
• 1 kilometer is equal to _1000___ meters.
– kilo-meter
• prefix = kilo or 1000
• unit = meter, measuring distance
– Therefore: 1 kilometer = 1000 meters.
• 5 kilometers is equal to _______ meters
– 5 x 1000 meters = 5,000 meters
• 10 kilometers is equal to _______ meters
– 10 x 1000 meters = 10,000 meters
• Later, we’ll practice converting from one to
another.

21. Try this…
What unit would you use to measure each of the following?
• Water in a bottle
– Liter
• The distance from my classroom to the bathroom
– Meter
• The amount of heat in the classroom?
– Kelvin or Celsius
• How much matter is in a paperclip
– Gram

22. 2. If only American Chopper used the metric system…

23. Metric System: Length
• The meter (m) is the SI unit of length.
– A meter is about the distance from a
doorknob to the floor.
– A driver golf club is also about a meter in
length.
• The meter is divided into 100 equal
parts called centimeters (cm).
• There are 100 centimeters in a meter:
– 100 cm = 1 m

24. • An even smaller unit is a millimeter
(mm).
• The prefix “milli-” means 1/1000, so…
 1000 mm = 1 m
 10 mm = 1 cm

25. • Long distances are measured in kilometers
(km).
• In the US, we measure speed by miles per
hour (mph). In most other countries, they
measure in kilometers per hour (km/h).

26. You try it!
• Name 3 things that are about one meter long.
• Golf Club, Chair, Flag, 6th graders…
• Name 3 things that are measured in
centimeters
• Paperclips, babies, toes, fingernail
• Name 3 things that are small enough to be
measured in millimeters
• Camera film, pencil lead, wire diameter,
insects

28. You Try It! Arrows A, B, & C are all pointing
to a particular place on a meter stick. Name
the value & include units.
• Point A = 49.4 cm or 494 mm
• Point B = 50.5 cm or 505 mm
• Point C = 52.0 cm or 520 mm

29. You try it! What is the most appropriate unit for
a scientist to use to measure the following?
• Distance from San
Diego to New York
• km
• Length of your
eyelash
• mm
• Distance from
A306 to the office
• m
• Length of your arm
• cm
• Height of this building
• m
• Length of a grain of
salt
• m

30. You try it! Practice Measuring
1. Measure the length of this paper in cm & mm.
_______ cm & _______ mm
2. Draw a square with sides measuring 11cm.
3. Measure the height of your desk from the floor
to the top in meters & centimeters.
_______ cm & _______ m
4. Measure the length of your desk in meters & cm.
_______ cm & _______ m

31. Smile Lab Time!
• Today you’re going to measure your smile with a
piece of string, and then tape that string to your
table’s paper.
• When your table has completed the measurements
& taping come up front to record what the
measurements were, so that your classmates can
record those lengths.
• Be sure to complete the graph & conclusion of your
lab.
• EVERYONE needs to complete a lab write up.