METRIC CONVERSION

Count Up to Six and Know Your Left

From Your Right
What are Metric Conversions?
 Sometimes we need to change from one
measurement to another.

 This is usually done because the unit that is

used is either too big or too small for that
type of measurement.
TOO BIG !!!

525,568
millimeters
Sometimes the number is too big for the unit
being measured.
Too Small

.00654 km

Sometimes the number is too

small for the unit being
measured
 How Do We Fix This Problem?

We can correct these problems by doing a

process called Metric Conversion. When
you do a Metric Conversion, you are
changing from one unit of measurement to
another.
 So How Do I Do A Metric
Conversion?
We will be using a method called The Stair-
step Method of Metric Conversion.

It requires two things; one, that you be able to

count to 6, and two, that you know your left
from your right.
The Stair-step
Kilo-
Hecto- Grams,
Deka- liters,meters
base units
Deci-
Centi-
Milli-
Do you remember…

King
Henry?
The pneumonic:

King Henry Died By Drinking

Chocolate Milk

Memorize
     this!
 How Do I Use This?
The first letter of the prefix in the unit of
measurement tells you which step to start on. The
first letter in the second unit of measurement tells
you which step to stop on. Find which step to start
on, and count the number of steps it takes to get to
the step that you need to stop on. If you went to the
right(downstairs) the decimal in the first
measurement moves that many places to the right. If
you went to the left (upstairs) then the decimal
moves to the left. Fill any empty places with zeros.
How Do I Use This (cont.)?
If there is only one letter in the unit of
measurement, then you start or stop on the
base unit step. Now let’s look at our
examples…..
525568 mm = ? m
Millimeters are a very small amount of
distance. You would not want to measure a
large distance in a very small unit.
To make the conversion, we start on the milli-
step and go three steps to the left to get to
the meter step. Therefore, the decimal in
525568 mm moves three places to the left,
becoming 525.568 m.
.00654 km = ? m
Kilometers are a fairly large unit of distance.
You would not want to measure a small
distance in a large unit, so we need to
convert it to a smaller unit, the meter.
We would start on the Kilo- step and move
three steps to the right this time, ending on
the meter (base unit) step.
Therefore, .00654 km becomes 6.54 m.
Examples
(5) 35 mm = ____ cm

(6) 14,443 L = ____ kL

(7) 0.00056 kg = ____ g

(8)35.4 L = ____ mL

(9)16 mm = ____ km
Hey! This Is Easy!
You bet it’s easy! Like we said on the first
slide…..
Be able to count up to six and know your left
from your right.
Now, get your stair-step sheet and your
practice problems and do some more
conversions!