MAKING MEASUREMENTS

A. Introduction

1. Scientists use INSTRUMENTStomeasure amounts

a. INSTRUMENTS express observations more PRECISELY and

communicate data more ACCURATELY/effectively/clearly

B. Measuring in SI (metric)

1. INTERNATIONALSYSTEM of Units (SI abbreviation)

2. Originated in FRANCE (Systeme International d’Unites)

3. Based on a POWER of 10 system

Means

101 10 = 10

102 10 x 10 = 100

103 10 x 10 x 10 = 1,000

104 10 x 10 x 10 x 10 = 10,000

105 10 x 10 x 10 x 10 x 10 = 100,000

106 10 x 10 x 10 x 10 x 10 x10 = 1,000,000

  1. Prefixes:

Units become LARGER

k / h / da / m
L
g / d / c / m
  1. Units:

METER = length

LITER = liquid volume

GRAM = mass

C. Length

1. LENGTHis theDISTANCEbetween two points

  1. SI / metric unit of MEASUREMENTfor length =METER (m)

a. the basic SI unit for LENGTH = METER (m)

3. The “7 little BOXES” forLENGTH:

km / hm / dam / m / dm / cm / mm

1,000 mm

(length of

baseball bat)

10m 100 mm

(length of classroom) (length of softball)

100 m 10 mm

(to edge of school property) (length of athletic cleat)

1,000 m 1 mm

(from school to Albertson) (distance from one stitch side

to opposite stitch side)

4. The instruments used to measureLENGTHare theMETERstick and

the metric RULER

5. Going from a LARGE named unit to a SMALL unit, you MULTIPLY

6. Going from a SMALL named unit to a LARGE unit, you DIVIDE

7. Each HOOP is valued at “x 10” which can be used to determine the

number needed toMULTIPLYorDIVIDEby

m / dm / cm / mm

(e.g.) 5 m = _5,000._ mm

dam / m / dm

(e.g.) 4,172 dm = 41.72 dam

D. PREFIXES Beyond “mm”

1. Prefixes SMALLER than “mm”:

  • u = micro-  10-6 = 0.000001 (1 millionth)
  • n = nano-  10-9 = 0.000000001 (1 billionth)
  • p = pico-  10-12 = 0.000000000001 (1 trillionth)
  • f = femto-  10-15 = 0.000000000000001 (1 quadrillionth)
  • a = atto-  10-18 = 0.000000000000000001 (1 quintillionth)
  • z = zepto-  10-21 = 0.000000000000000000001 (1 sextillionth)
  • y = yocto-  10-24 = 0.000000000000000000000001 (1 septillionth)

SMALLER Units 

m / dm / cm / mm / X / X / um / X / X / nm / X / X / pm / X / X

100 10-3 10-6 10-9 10-12 10-15

E. PREFIXES Beyond “km”

1. Prefixes LARGER than “km”:

  • M = mega-  106 = 1,000,000 (1 million)
  • G = giga-  109 = 1,000,000,000 (1 billion)
  • T = tera-  1012 = 1,000,000,000,000 (1 trillion)
  • P = peta-  1015 = 1,000,000,000,000,000 (1 quadrillion)
  • E = exa-  1018 = 1,000,000,000,000,000,000 (1 quintillion)
  • Z = zetta-  1021 = 1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 (1 sextillion)
  • Y = yotta-  1024 = 1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000

(1 septillion)

 LARGER Units

X / X / Tm / X / X / Gm / X / X / Mm / X / X / km / hm / dam / m

1015 1012 109 106 103 100