Jump into the measurement system that is used around the world.
Author
Taylor Hartley
Expert Reviewer
Jill Padfield
Published: February 2024
Jump into the measurement system that is used around the world.
Author
Taylor Hartley
Expert Reviewer
Jill Padfield
Published: February 2024
Jump into the measurement system that is used around the world.
Author
Taylor Hartley
Expert Reviewer
Jill Padfield
Published: February 2024
Key takeaways
The metric system is all around you. Grab the nearest bottle of soda or bag of chips and you’ll likely see litres or grams listed somewhere on the label. But what do these words mean? Let’s dive in and find out!
The metric system is a way to measure the world, just like the customary/imperial system used in America. Instead of thinking in miles when planning a trip, people who use the metric system think in kilometres. And this is a far more common way of measuring the world. Countries all over, from France to Japan to Ethiopia, use the metric system in industry and everyday life.
What makes the metric system so popular? Well, for one, having a uniform measurement system makes collaboration across borders much simpler. Additionally, it is also very easy to understand and calculate.
The metric system is built around three main base units:
From these base units, you can get the rest of the units in the metric system by adding prefixes to metre, gram, or litre. For example, something that is 1000 metres long is 1 kilometre because kilo means thousand. This is also true for grams and litres, which makes remembering the different units very simple.
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Check out the list below of the metric conversions we see used most often in everyday life:
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The different units in the metric system revolve around how many of the base units they equal. For instance, measuring distance involves thinking about how many metres away something is. Remember, there are different words with different prefixes to express how many metres you’re working with. This is the case for units both larger and smaller than the base unit.
The tables below show units both larger and smaller than the starter base unit. As you look to the right, the units get smaller, and as you look to the left, the units get larger. Note the placement of decimals and the number of zeros attached to each value.
| 1000 | 100 | 10 | Base Unit | .1 | .01 | .001 |
| kilometre | hectometre | decametre | Metre | decimetre | centimetre | millimetre |
| 1000 | 100 | 10 | Base Unit | .1 | .01 | .001 |
| kilogram | hectogram | decagram | Gram | decigram | centigram | milligram |
| 1000 | 100 | 10 | Base Unit | .1 | .01 | .001 |
| kilolitre | hectolitre | decalitre | Litre | decilitre | centilitre | millilitre |
As you can see, moving on to the next unit is just a matter of moving the decimal to the left or right. One decametre is equal to 10 metres, a hectometre is equal to 100 metres, and a kilometre is equal to 1000 metres. Notice that each new unit is the product of multiplying by 10.
The same is true for division when looking at units smaller than a metre. One decimetre is 1/10 or .1 of a metre, a centimetre is 1/100 or .01 of a metre, and a millimetre is 1/1000 or .001 of a metre.
Generally speaking, people seldom use measurements with the hecto, deca, and deci prefixes in everyday situations. Regardless, these are good to know in order to understand the steps in metric units.
The metric system is becoming more and more common. You likely see and use the metric system in all sorts of situations:
There’s a reason why most of the world uses the metric system:
A centimetre is 1/100 of a metre, which means each metre equals 100 centimetres. Multiply that by 5 and you get 500 centimetres.
3,500 millilitres. A litre is equal to 1,000 millilitres, so you have at least 3,000 millilitres in 3.5 litres. The .5 decimal value indicates that there is an additional half a litre to account for. Half of 1,000 is 500, so our total is 3,500 millilitres.
This is the same amount, 1 metre. 100 centimetres equals 1 metre, and 1,000 metres equals 1 kilometre.
Ready to give it a go?
Metric is an easy-to-use system once you know the prefixes. Refer back to the tables from earlier to help you remember what the units are called.
Click to reveal the answer.
A decimetre.
Centimetre is smaller.
Metres measure length, grams measure weight, and litres measure volume.
A decimetre
How did we get here?
1000
How did we get here?
The prefix kilo means thousand, so a kilogram is 1,000 grams.
1.5 litres
How did we get here?
Centimetre is smaller
How did we get here?
Metres measure length, grams measure weight, and litres measure volume.
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The metric system is based on base units like metres and litres. Larger units equal each unit multiplied by ten. Smaller units result from dividing units by 10. The imperial system uses units with historical origins dating all the way back to ancient Rome.
Make recipes in metric, think about distances in kilometres, and pay attention to the metric labels on the foods you buy.
Parents, sign up for a DoodleMaths subscription and see your child become a maths wizard!
Lesson credits
Taylor Hartley
Taylor Hartley is an author and an English teacher. When she's not writing, you can find her on the rowing machine or lost in a good novel.
Jill Padfield
Jill Padfield has 7 years of experience teaching mathematics. She is currently working as a Business Analyst, working to improve services for Veterans while earning a masters degree in business administration.
Taylor Hartley
Taylor Hartley is an author and an English teacher. When she's not writing, you can find her on the rowing machine or lost in a good novel.
Jill Padfield
Jill Padfield has 7 years of experience teaching mathematics. She is currently working as a Business Analyst, working to improve services for Veterans while earning a masters degree in business administration.
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