Measurement Systems
Suppose the length of
a string in a ball of
yarn is 100. Can you
tell how much string is
in the ball?
NO!!
International System of
Units
In the U.S. we buy milk by the gallon,
potatoes by the pound, and lumber by
the foot.
These are a part of the English system
of measurement.
Most other nations use a system of
measurement based on multiples of ten.
This is known as the International
System of Units or SI.
Common SI Prefixes
Prefix
Symbol
Multiplying Factor
Kilo-
1000
Deci-
0.1
Centi-
0.01
Milli-
0.001
Micro-
0.000001
Nano-
0.00000000
1
Using SI Units
Every type of quantity
measured in SI has a base unit
and a symbol for that unit.
SI Base Units
Quantity
Measured
Unit
Symbol
Length
Meter
Mass
Kilogram
kg
Time
Second
Electric current
Ampere
Temperature
Kelvin
Amount of
substance
Mole
mol
Intensity of light
Candela
cd
Length
The SI base unit for length is the meter
(m).
Remember: SI is based on powers of ten
Therefore:
1m=10dm=100cm=1000mm
Metric rulers and meter sticks are used to
measure length.
Choosing a Unit
The size of the unit you use to
measure with will depend on the size
of the item being measured.
1 meter
10 football
fields= 1
kilometer
1
centimet
er
Volume
The amount of space occupied by an
object.
Volume= length x width x height
3 cm
3 cm
3cm
Mass
Measurement of the matter in an object.
Base unit: kilograms (kg)
Grams (g) and milligrams (mg) are used
for measuring objects of small mass.
Which ball
has more
mass?
How
gra man
y
ms
one
are
in
kilo
gra
m?
Density
Density is the mass per unit of volume of
a material. (Expressed as grams per
cubic cm)
D=m/v
Summary