Hint: For an answer in BIGGER units, move the decimal point LEFT. Table 2: The same table tipped over on its side, with metric units arranged from bottom (smallest) to top (biggest). Table 1: Metric units arranged from left (smallest) to right (biggest). The metric system is based on powers of ten.īase Units (there are others, but these are the most Too bad because, while switching is hard, there would be substantial long term benefits to the economy and the country.
But ever since Jimmy Carter, the idea of converting to metric has been politically too hot to touch. We're not in very good company! Our archaic system hurts our ability to sell our goods internationally. America, Liberia and Myanmar are the only countries in the world that haven't gone metric. How many pints? How many inches are in 13 feet? I think you begin to see my point. Ok, quickly, in your head, how many pennies are there in $1.60? How many dimes? Now, quickly, in your head, how many fluid ounces are in 1.64 gallons. Converting dollars into dimes or pennies is pretty easy math, and in metric, there are no nickels. If metric seems strange to you because you're used to the American system of measurements we inherited from the English (which, by the way, even the English have mostly given up), remember that money is metric so you already have some real-world experience. Maybe it's because we've got 10 digits of our own to count on that humans settled on Base 10, but other number systems are possible and have been used. Converting between units in metric only requires moving the decimal point to the left or right since units all differ by powers of ten. In science, we use the Metric System, also known as the International System of Units, because it makes unit conversions simpler.
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