Measurement involves quantifying physical properties like Length, Mass, and Capacity. The Metric system is a decimal system, meaning it is based on powers of 10.
The standard units are Meter (length), Gram (mass), and Liter (capacity). To convert between them, we use prefixes like Kilo, Hecto, Deca, Deci, Centi, and Milli.
| Category | Kilo (x1000) | Hecto (x100) | Deca (x10) | Base Unit (x1) | Deci (/10) | Centi (/100) | Milli (/1000) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Length | Kilometer (km) | Hectometer (hm) | Decameter (dam) | Meter (m) | Decimeter (dm) | Centimeter (cm) | Millimeter (mm) |
| Mass | Kilogram (kg) | Hectogram (hg) | Decagram (dag) | Gram (g) | Decigram (dg) | Centigram (cg) | Milligram (mg) |
| Capacity | Kiloliter (kl) | Hectoliter (hl) | Decaliter (dal) | Liter (l) | Deciliter (dl) | Centiliter (cl) | Milliliter (ml) |
Key conversions for daily use:
Use the phrase "King Henry Died Unusually Drinking Chocolate Milk" to remember the order: Kilo, Hecto, Deca, Unit, Deci, Centi, Milli.
Forgetting that 1.5 kg is 1500 g, not 1050 g. Always multiply decimal values carefully by 1000.
The metric system is simple because it uses base 10. Remember 1000 units = 1 Kilo and 1000 Milli = 1 Unit.