Converting Metric Units of Measurement

The metric system is a comprehensive system of measurements used all over the world today. One of the biggest advantages that the metric system offers is that conversions between its units is simple and logical, as its units scale by powers of 10, just like our place value system. Because of this, converting within metric measurements is usually as easy as multiplying or dividing a given measurement by a power of 10 to find the new value, or, as a shortcut, simply moving its decimal point.

The basic metric units are meters (for length), grams (for mass or weight), and liters (for volume or capacity).
There are many metric-unit prefixes, but the usual ones required in school are these: kilo-, hecto-, deca-, deci-, centi-, and milli-.

The same basic rule of converting works with the metric system as well.

Basic Conversion Rule:

To convert from a LARGER unit to a SMALLER unit...MULTIPLY

To convert from a SMALLER unit to a LARGER unit...DIVIDE

We have five different strategies that we have learned to help us with metric conversions, four are the same as customary conversions.

1. Draw a picture.

2. Make a t-chart.

3. Use the saying.

4. Use a proportion.

5. Move the decimal with the power of 10.

Here are some videos that will help with metric conversions:

Learnzillion Lesson

Metric Conversion Rap

Using K H D U D C M to convert

Here are some games to solidify this concept:

Horrendous Soup

Matching Math Metric Length

Multiple Games

Metric Math Frog

Metric Measurement Millionaire Game

Please let me know if you have any questions.