Converting Metric Measurements

Date: 05/26/98 at 20:28:00
From: Charles Lozada
Subject: Converting metric measurements

How many kilometers  are in a meter?
How many kilometers  are in a centimeter?
How many meters      are in a centimeter?
How many kilometers  are in a decimeter?
How many meters      are in a hectometer?
How many centimeters are in a millimeter?
How many centimeters are in a kilometers?

Date: 06/01/98 at 12:14:06
From: Doctor Mateo
Subject: Re: Converting metric measurements

Hello Charles,

The metric system uses base 10 so conversions within the metric system 
result in moving the decimal point forward or backward:

   kilo  - means 1000
   hecto - means 100
   deka  - means 10
   deci  - means 1/10
   centi - means 1/100
   milli - means 1/1000

Sometimes the conversion facts are illustrated with metric 
stair steps:

 kilo
 ________
         ) hecto-
         )________  
                  )  deka-
                  )________ 
                           )metric base (meter, liter, gram)       
                           )___________
                                       ) deci-
                                       )_________
                                                  ) centi-
                                                  )_________ 
                                                            ) milli-
                                                            )_______

Each time you move down a step you will move the decimal point forward 
one place. Each time you climb up a step you move the decimal point 
backward one step.

Consider some of the following:

     1 m  = .001 km      (you climb up three steps)
    12 cm = .00012 km    (you climb up five steps)
    81 cm = .81 m        (you climb up two steps)
     3 dm = .0003 km     (you climb up four steps)
     1 hm = 100 m        (you go down two steps)
     7 mm = .7 cm        (you climb up one step)
   1.2 km = 120,000 cm   (you go down five steps)

Make good use of the conversion facts. They are useful in math, 
science, industry, and all kinds of places.

-Doctor Mateo,  The Math Forum
Check out our web site! http://mathforum.org/dr.math/