The Metric System

Metric System

The metric system is a system of weight and measure which was first adopted by France. The greater part of the population in the world works on the metric system.The metric system is so called because it use the ‘metre’ as the primary units.

In metric system there are three principal or primary units

  1. metre
  2. litre
  3. Kilogram

Basic Standards :- 

  • 1 inch   = 25.5 mm.  =2.54 cm.
  • 1 metre  = 39.37 inch   = 1.09 yards
  • 1 litre = 1000 ml.  = 0.22 galls. (gallons)
  • 1 pound = 0.4536 kg     

The following fundamental standards or units are used in metric system ;—–

  • length                     metre
  • mass                       kilogram or gram
  • volume                   litre
  • force                       dyne on dyn
  • work & energy       erg or dyne-cm
  • heat                         calorie or gram calorie
  • power                      watt
Note :-MTS system is generally used in Engineering system

Metric Units of weights

  • 1 tonne = 1000,000 g =1000 kg.
  • 1 quintal = 100,000 g = 100 kg.
  • 1 kilogram = 1000 g   =1 kg.
  • 1 hectogram  = 100 g = 1/10  kg.
  • 1 dekagram = 10 g = 1/100 kg.
  • 1 gram         =1 g   = 1/1000 kg.
  • 1 decigram   = 1/10 g
  • 1 centgram    =  1/100 g
  • 1 milligram   = 1/1000 g
The gram is used in in weighting gold,silver,letters and small quantities of things. The kilogram is used by grocers and is the primary units of mass and the tonne is used for heavy articles.

Metric units of Length 

  • 1 megametre     = 1000,000 metres
  • 1 1 kilometre     = 1000 metre
  • 1 hectometre      = 100 metre
  • 1 deka metre      = 10 metre
  • 1 metre               = 1 metre
  • 1 decimetre        =  1/10 metre
  • 1 centimetre       =    1/100 metre
  • 1 millimetre        =    1/1000 metre
  • 1 micrometre       =    1/1000,000 metre

Conversion factors

1 foot =30.38 cm.= 0.3948 m =12 inch
1 yard = 0.9144 metre
1 mile =1.609 kilometre
1 metre= 3.28 feet =39.37 inch=1.09 yards

Metric units of Liquid measures

  • 1 kilolitre  = 1000 l
  • 1 hectolitre= 100 l
  • 1 dekalitre = 10 l
  • 1 litre        = 1000ml.
  • 1 decilitre  =   1/10 l
  • 1 centiletre = 1/100 l
  • 1 millilitre  = 1/1000 l
Thank you

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