The Metric System Page 8
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135,000 • 1
g
5,000
g
=
1• 1,000
1,000
5,000
g
=
5
g
1,000
Answer
5 g = 5,000 mg, so the pharmacist did not make a mistake.
Summary
The metric system is an alternative system of measurement used in most countries, as
well as in the United States. The metric system is based on joining one of a series of
prefixes, including kilo-, hecto-, deka-, deci-, centi-, and milli-, with a base unit of
measurement, such as meter, liter, or gram. Units in the metric system are all related by
a power of 10, which means that each successive unit is 10 times larger than the
previous one.
This makes converting one metric measurement to another a straightforward process,
and is often as simple as moving a decimal point. It is always important, though, to
consider the direction of the conversion. If you are converting a smaller unit to a larger
unit, then the decimal point has to move to the left (making your number smaller); if you
are converting a larger unit to a smaller unit, then the decimal point has to move to the
right (making your number larger).
The factor label method can also be applied to conversions within the metric system. To
use the factor label method, you multiply the original measurement by unit fractions; this
allows you to represent the original measurement in a different measurement unit.
4.5.1 Self Check Solutions
Self Check A
Which of the following sets of three units are all metric measurements of length?
kilometer, centimeter, millimeter
Correct. All of these measurements are from the metric system. You can tell they are
measurements of length because they all contain the word “meter.”
Self Check B
How many milliliters are in 1 liter?
There are 10 milliliters in a centiliter, 10 centiliters in a deciliter, and 10 deciliters in a
liter. Multiply: 10 • 10 • 10, to find the number of milliliters in a liter, 1,000.
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