Units of Measurement

• Metric conversion factors


  • 1 m = 1000 mm
  • Tera- = 1012
  • Giga- = 109
  • Hecto = 102
  • Deca- = 101
• Weight/Mass conversion factors


  • 1 kg = 1000 g
  • 1 g = 1000 mg
  • 1 metric ton = 1000 kg or 2204 lbs
• Volume conversion factors


  • 1 mL = 1 cm3 = 1000L
• Length/Distance conversion factors


  • 1 ft = 12 in
• Time conversion factors


  • 30 days = 1 month
  • 1 century = 100 years
  • 1 millennium = 1000 years
  • 1 leap year = 366 days
• Conversion process


  1. Identify the Quantity

  2. Understand the Equivalence

  3. Use Conversion Factors

  4. Multiply and Divide
• Mass


  Amount of matter regardless of location
• Characteristics of mass


  • Fundamental quantity is not derived from other quantities
• Other units of mass

  • grams (g)
  • milligrams (mg)
• Density


  How packed molecules in a substance is
• Characteristics of density


  • Determines whether an object will float on water
  • More dense = sink
  • Less dense = float
  • Amount submerged equals ratio of densities
• Density measurement method


  Measured using the water displacement method
• Weight


  Gravitational pull on an object, dependent on location
• Characteristics of weight


  • Measured in Newtons
  • Force required to accelerate 1 kg
  • Weight caused by gravity pulling down on mass
• Acceleration due to gravity on Earth’s surface is g = 9.18 m/s2