Metric System & Measurement

NAME ______PER ______

Activity: MAKING MEANINGFUL MEASUREMENTS

Metric System: The metric system is used by almost every country in the world, other than the U.S. It is also the preferred system of measurement for science.

In the United States, we use the English System. Can you name some units that we use?

1)Volume (liquid) ______

2)Mass ______

3)Length ______

4)Temperature ______

In the metric system, we will be using terms: Grams, Liters, Meters, Seconds, and Celsius. Which one is used for?

5)Volume (liquid) ______

6)Mass ______

7)Length ______

8)Temperature ______

9)Time ______

The metric system is much easier… it is based on units of 10! It’s easy to convert if you use the table below

Use the table above to help you make the following conversions:

10)How many meters (m) are in 1 km?______

11)How many mm are in 1 cm? ______

12)How many mg are in 1 g? ______

13)8 cm = ______mm

MEASUREMENT LAB

Length - Measure the following in centimeters:

14)Your hand span is ______cm. (outstretched hand between tip of thumb and tip of little finger)

15)The width of your index fingernail is ______cm. This is equal to ______mm.

16)Your foot is ______cm in length. This is equal to ______mm.

Using the measurements you have from above, Estimate FIRST, and then check for accuracy:

17)Width of this piece of paper ______cmActual length ______cm

18)Length of pencil ______cmActual length ______cm

19)Circumference of your wrist ______cmActual length ______cm

Write down the best units to measure the items below. You may choose from mm, cm, m, or km:

20)length of classroom _____

21)distance to San Diego ____

22) thickness of a penny _____

23) your height _____

24)distance around a tennis ball ____

Measuring Volume

25)What is the piece of equipment shown to the left called? ______

26)What is the volume of liquid in this beaker? ______

Working with graduated cylinders: the surface of the liquid is curved. This is called the meniscus. When we read the volume, we read it at the BOTTOM of the meniscus.

27)What is the volume of the liquid in the graduated cylinder marked A? _____mL

28)What is the volume of the liquid in the graduated cylinder marked B? _____mL

Measuring MASS

29)Define mass:

30)What is the basic unit for mass? ______

Measure the mass of something that belongs to you or your lab partner.

31)What did you measure? ______

32)What was the mass? ______g

33)Circle the best unit for measuring each mass:

a)Amount of salt in a batch of cookies: m g kg

b)Your mass: mgg kg

c)Mass of 10 pennies: mg g kg

MEaSURING TIME:

34)What is the basic unit for measuring time? ______

35)How many seconds are in:

1 minute? ______
1 Hour? ______
2 days? ______