WebQuest: The Metric System

Why are we doing this?

In the late 1700's, the French government devised a system of measure that was easily portable, convertible, and interrelated. The new system was based on a single measurement, the meter. They defined the meter as one ten-millionth of the distance from the equator to the North Pole along the line of longitude through Paris. Then, they broke it down according to multiples of 10, giving each a corresponding prefix. Eventually, the United States will switch to the metric system. When that happens, you will most likely find it easier to "relearn" your your height in cm or meters, rather than doing a mathematical calculation in your head.

Technical Stuff:

Prefix Multiple or Fraction Used in mega- (m-) 106 = 1,000,000 Science/Everyday life kilo- (k-) 103 = 1000 Everyday life hecto- (h-) 102 = 100 deka- (da-) 101 = 10 meter (m), gram (g), liter (L) deci- (d-) 10-1 = 1/10 centi- (c-) 10-2 = 1/100 milli- (m-) 10-3 = 1/1000 micro- (µ-) 10-6 = 1/1,000,000 Science So, just how big are these units?: As a frame of reference, here are some basic comparisons: A meter is slightly longer than a yard. A centimeter is about the width of your little finger. A millimeter is the thickness of a dime. A kilometer is a little more than a half-mile. A gram is the weight of a dollar bill. A kilogram is about the weight of a large tub of butter (2.2 pounds). A liter is a little more than a quart. A milliliter is about a drop. A kiloliter over 260 gallons. Interconnectedness: The base connection between length, volume and weight is a cubic centimeter of water. 1 cm3 = 1 mL = 1 g or 1 cubic decimeter = 1 liter = 1 kilogram Converting Between Units in the Metric System: Converting between units in the Metric System is easy - once you learn those prefixes. Until then, you may want to use a metric converter. To use the metric converter, locate the prefix you are given, count how many places you must move in order to get to the desired prefix, and then, move the decimal point the same number of places, and in the same direction as you did on the converter.

First, let's do some math.

Of the three measurements offered, which is the most realistic measure for each of the following objects. a. Length of a small paper clip. 28 mm 28 cm 28 m Answer 28 mm b. Distance between Las Vegas and Reno, Nevada. 800 cm 800 m 800 km Answer 800 km c. Height of a building. 20 cm 20 m 20 km Answer 20 m d. Height of a 12 year old boy. 148 mm 148 cm 148 m Answer 148 cm e. The volume of juice container. 4 ml 4 L 4 kL Answer 4 L f. Weight of an apple. 100 mg 100 g 100 kg Answer 100 g g. Weight of a man. 70 mg 70 g 70 kg Answer 70 kg h. Volume of a teaspoon. 15 ml 15 cL 15 L Answer 15 ml i. The weight of an eyelash. 300 mg 300 g 300 kg Answer 300 mg j. The volume of water in a swimming pool. 50 ml 50 L 50 kL Answer 50 kL   Use the metric converter to complete the following statements. a. 1 dm = ? mm Answer --> 100 mm b. 31 m = ? cm Answer --> 3100 cm c. 0.76 hm = ? m Answer --> 76 m d. 7.5 cm = ? mm Answer --> 75 mm e. 3.06 m = ? mm Answer --> 3060 mm f. 764 m = ? km Answer --> 0.764 km g. 3.22 kg = ? g Answer --> 3200 g h. 18.5 ml = ? L Answer --> 0.0185 L i. 0.034 L = ? CL Answer --> 3.4 CL j. 95 mg = ? cg Answer --> 9.5 cg k. 475 cg = ? g Answer --> 4.75 g l. 32 g = ? mg Answer --> 0.032 mg

Now, let's explore a website.
	Go to the Online Conversion.com website and determine the following conversions.   a. 50 km = ____ miles b. 6 m = ____ feet         c. 50 miles = ____ km d. 6 ft = ____ m For additional reasoning to begin using the metric system, check out the pages dedicated to the decimal nature of the metric system.

Questions to think about.

1. Is it easier to use the metric system or the standard US system of measure? Why?   Answer --> Although you may have difficulty (or resist) learning the metric units of mesaure, it is much easier to work with the metric system because of its decimal nature.     2. Which is a faster rate of speed: 60 miles per hour or 60 kilometers per hours?   Answer --> 60 miles per hour.     3. One of the worlds largest slot machine jackpots is in Nevada and it is called Megabucks. Why is the name Megabucks appropriate?   Answer --> The value of the jackpot is in the millions, and mega- is the prefix for a million.     4. Microsoft is one of the largest companies in the world. Why in the name Microsoft a strange name?   Answer --> The prefix micro- implies something very small.