Module 1: The Metric System

These flashcards cover the International System of Units (SI), including metric prefixes, base units for various measurements, temperature conversion formulas, and methods for converting within the metric system.

What is the International System of Units (SI), and why is it commonly used in science?

The metric system is used in science because prefixes allow for easy descriptions of units larger or smaller than the basic unit through powers of ten.

What are the common metric base units for measurement, mass, volume, temperature, and time?

The base units are meter ($\text{m}$) for length, gram ($\text{g}$) for mass, liter ($\text{l}$ or $\text{L}$) for volume, degree Celsius ($^\text{o}\text{C}$) for temperature, and second ($\text{s}$) for time.

What are the values and powers of ten associated with the prefixes kilo (k), mega (M), and giga (G)?

Kilo is one thousand ($1,000$ or $10^3$), mega is one million ($1,000,000$ or $10^6$), and giga is one billion ($1,000,000,000$ or $10^9$).

What are the values and powers of ten associated with the prefixes deci (d), centi (c), and milli (m)?

Deci is $\frac{1}{10}$ ($0.1$ or $10^{-1}$), centi is $\frac{1}{100}$ ($0.01$ or $10^{-2}$), and milli is $\frac{1}{1,000}$ ($0.001$ or $10^{-3}$). balance

What are the values and powers of ten associated with the prefixes micro ($\text{μ}$) and nano (n)?

Micro is $\frac{1}{1,000,000}$ ($0.000001$ or $10^{-6}$) and nano is $\frac{1}{1,000,000,000}$ ($0.000000001$ or $10^{-9}$).

How does the basic unit of distance, the meter ($\text{m}$), compare to English units?

The meter is slightly more than a yard, measuring approximately $39.37\text{ inches}$.

How is the basic unit of mass, the gram ($\text{g}$), characterized in the metric system?

The gram is the approximate mass (or weight) of a paper clip.

What is the basic unit of volume, and how does it compare to English units?

The basic unit of volume is the liter ($\text{l}$ or $\text{L}$), which is slightly more than a quart.

In the Celsius (centigrade) scale, what are the freezing and boiling points of water, and how do they relate to Fahrenheit?

Water freezes at $0^\text{o}\text{C}$ ($32^\text{o}\text{F}$) and boils at $100^\text{o}\text{C}$ ($212^\text{o}\text{F}$).

What is the mathematical relationship between 1 degree Celsius and Fahrenheit?

$$1^\text{o}\text{C} = 1.8^\text{o}\text{F}$$

What is the formula to convert degrees Fahrenheit to degrees Celsius?

$$^\text{o}\text{Celsius} = \frac{5}{9} \times (^\text{o}\text{Fahrenheit} - 32^\text{o})$$

What is the formula to convert degrees Celsius to degrees Fahrenheit?

$$^\text{o}\text{Fahrenheit} = (\frac{9}{5} \times ^\text{o}\text{Celsius}) + 32^\text{o}$$

According to the temperature scale, what Fahrenheit temperatures correspond to the Celsius values of $-10^\text{o}\text{C}$ (Frigid) and $20^\text{o}\text{C}$ (Comfortably Warm)?

$-10^\text{o}\text{C}$ is $14^\text{o}\text{F}$ and $20^\text{o}\text{C}$ is $68^\text{o}\text{F}$.

What is the basis for metric or decimalized time, and how many metric seconds are in a metric minute?

Metric time is based on the solar day (one revolution of the Earth), and there are $100\text{ metric seconds}$ in a metric minute.

What is the primary method used to convert from one metric prefix to another?

Locate the starting prefix on a metric line and move the decimal in the direction and number of places required to reach the desired prefix.

Converting 3 milligrams to micrograms yields what result?

$3000\text{ micrograms}$ ($3000\text{ μg}$), because a microgram is smaller than a milligram by a factor of $1,000$.

Converting 3 milliliters to liters yields what result?

$0.003\text{ liters}$, because a liter is larger than a milliliter by a factor of $1,000$.