Lab Activity: Measuring with Metric pate, Periog Introduction: ‘The purpose ofthis activity is to practice using the matric system. Te conducts scientlic investigation, 3 rezearener must pe able to make Scturate mesrurements. In toey's tnercice you will become tamalise wwitn metrie system units ana converting between lsrge an amas metric units. n ench er tne rections that follow, you will fomfigrize yourself with the spproprinte matic unvts thet ssentists cammonWy use, and then you willtake the measurements of some everyday o3jecte 5 ‘The metric system i the standard system ot measurement inthe sciences, inchucing biotogy, ‘chemistry, and physics. it har tremendous advantages ecmuse all conversions, whether for votume, mass (weight), orsengen, are in units of ten, ‘This ten-oazed system is similar to cur monetary system. inwnicn __centsequals a dime,end___cimes equals a olsr Standard Metric Units ‘The intornctionat Systam of Mteosurampent [5], commonly called the metric system, has been aciopted as tne ofrcil system of mascurement by mast countries, Unite our traaitional zystem of measurement [ineh, toot, re, mile), the matric system is based on stendsrd units that con be eszily converted by imply multiplying or cvicing by ten, The standarc metric unit fer length is the meter. Gram if the Standard unit of mass and liter the standard unit of wolume. Temperature iz meazured in degree: Celsius {or kerain Figure 2.1 ‘Standard uni of the metric system Unie Example Meter (on) Height of a typical doar banclle (Lm = approx. 3 imchies) Mass igh Mavs of one dollar bill (Lg = 0.085 oc) Volume Liver (1) Volume of large fastfood souk (15 approimately L quart) Temperarure Celsius OC) Warer freezes ac WC and bards at 190°CLab Activity: Measuring with Metric Figure 2.2 chows the metric units and their prefixes. Measurements are further expressed using a “superumit” arefix or subunit orefix. Superunits contain ‘Greet pretives to snow multiples of the oare unit, co they mabe the oane unit srger. Latin pretives, on ‘the other hand, reprazent “subunits” thet make the bace unit smaller. Figure 2.2 ‘Common metric system prefixes and their values Prefix Symbol Value Superunit Kilo K Thousand 10000 1e Heeto by Hundred 100.0 10 cada Ten Hed 10 Inds cer ml ‘One Lo i Gam g Liter 1 anit decid lent 1 1p Conti Hundredth 0.01 1 Milli 0.001 108 Micro p 0.000001 10° Nano on 6.0000MhKT 10" Metric Conversion: [man] gees ‘Conversions within tne 1 Hk Saas matric oyster canbe I made eazily using s hike matric ctnircase. Esch eww decimal Fiecto] tep ofthe staircase te Daca when represents ten-fold To] eres change inthe vaiue ot bes | ‘the mencure or a:shitt a Move decimal othe decimal point ih peerete one place. Therefore, - exch step you move ha Gown the staircase: represents, multiplicstion by tenor ‘a mavement of the Gecimal one piace to the right. gacn step up the staircase reoresents a civision oy ‘ten or the mavement of the decimal point one place to the left. Two step: up or down the ctaircere represents movement of the decimal point two pisces to the leftorright and three steos up or down ‘the staircase represents 2 mavement of the Gecimal point three places to the left or right. It you have ‘trouble, eck your instructor to demonstrate how to make conversions within the mefric system using the staircase.Lab Activity: Measuring with Metric Heed these rules: 2. Ow SMOG Blweys Use DECIMALS (never tractions:!| to express metric mensurements. For example: write 2.25 em, not 2 %cm 2. fa metric meszurement ig lass than ene, precece tne cecimal with = ZERO. For example, cont writs 3 mm, write o.55 mm Points will be deducted tor incorrect format. Practice converting Metric Units ‘Use the staircace dingrem Figure 2.3 to convert the following metric units into mew matric units Smeters= ma 0.98 key 22.1 ml = 1 OAMMMDS me = mm 10,900 cen = im 97 um = on 0.0034 O98 ky 0087 | = pl Homi) = wl 860 g= mg 4590 ul = ml OLLENGTH Metric units of length messurement most commonly used in biology include the meter m). centimeter [om], millimeter (mm), micrometer {ymJ, and manometer (nm). See Table 2.2, below. eee Unit Meters Centimeters: Millimeters Relative Size eter [mn am 20cm, 4000 mm ergect ‘Centimeter (an) os (20m ‘tem, mm Milinerer [mm] oooe [10%] Qion Lomm Miaometer (um) | oocgoo: (20"]m | a.o0on a" ]om | 00 [mm Renometer nen] meccoonsc [20°]m | cnccoood [0"Jem [acces [20°] mm aralen How many om arein a meter? How many mm sre in centimeter? How many pm are in 8 millimeter? How many nmerein smicrometer?Lab Activity: Measuring with Metric 1. Obtain a meter stick. On tne opposite sige fina tne Engiisn mescurement units of “inches” How many inches are in a meter? . Therefore, one mater is roughly equivalentto s yard. (Rygere 24 Minter tik, 2. Turn tne meter stick overssna observe tne metric suodivisions (Fig. 2.4). How many censimeters are ine meter? “The prefix cent? meens 400. How many cents (pennies) are ins douse? 3. How many millimeters are in = centimeter? The prefix millicmesn:ethourand, How many mibimeters are ina metert 4. For menzuring mailer objects, it iz preferable to use 2 metric ruler, rather then e mater stick. Obtain a penny. Measure its diameter then its wigth (thickness) . 3. Why is itgreferaole to mesures penny in millimeters rather then centimeters or meters? Use n meter stick or metric rufer to measure the fomowing: = ‘width of ciazsroom door opening fin meters} m Lengtn of wnitepoare (in meters) m Lengtn of @ cower bit fin centimeters) on ‘width of your pen (in millimeters) mm Which of your fingernails i closest to 4 em in wictth? Millimeter, Micrometer, and Nancmeter As you wilt Giscover in upcoming laboratory exercises (using L I microscopes], the units micrometer [um] and nsnamater (nn) oe are uzeful in microscopy for measuring very tiny objects ike cells |, | | remem i or wyan viruses. Figure 2.5 chow that ca are generally much iin [oe smaller than & millimeter (mm). vee Remestiemwimtetiein | | a J