Metric Weights and Measures  

The metric system is based on 10s. For example, 10 millimeters = 1 centimeter, 10 centimeters =
1 decimeter, and 10 decimeters = a meter (39.37 inches).

Units smaller than a meter have Latin Units larger than a meter have Greek
prefixes: prefixes:
Number in 1 Relative
Prefix Meaning Prefix Meaning
meter Measurements
deci- 10 10 decimeters dekameter = 10
deka- 10
meters
centi- 100 100 centimeters
hectometer =
milli- 1,000 1,000 millimeters hecto- 100
100 meters
1,000,000
micro- 1,000,000 kilometer is
micrometers kilo- 1,000
1,000 meters
1,000,000,000
nano- 1,000,000,000 megabyte = one
nanometers mega- 1,000,000
million bytes
1,000,000,000,000
pico- 1,000,000,000,000 gigabyte = one
picometers giga- 1,000,000,000
billion bytes
terabyte = one
tera- 1,000,000,000,000
trillion bytes
petabyte = one
peta- 1,000,000,000,000,000 quadrillion
bytes

The Bureau International des Poids et Measures (BIPM) brochure on the International System of
Units (SI) contains more details about prefixes.

Metric System Examples

Rules of Thumb Length Capacity
Unit Value Unit Value
 A meter is a little more
than a yard. 1,000 kiloliter 1,000
kilometer
 A kilometer is less than (km) meter (kl) liters
a mile. s
hectoliter 100
 A liter is a little more 100 (hl) liters
than a quart. hectomete
meter
r (hm) dekaliter 10
s (dal) liters
 10 liter (l or
dekameter 1 liter
meter L)
(dam)
s deciliter 0.1
1 (dl) liter
meter (m)
meter
centiliter 0.01
decimeter 0.1 (cl) liter
(dm) meter milliliter 0.001
centimeter 0.01 (ml) liter
(cm) meter
millimeter 0.001
(mm) meter

Metric Conversions
For accurate conversions, see the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Special
Publiciations:

 NIST Guide to SI Units: Conversion Factors

 NIST Guide to SI Units: Conversion Factors listed alphabetically

Complete NIST Special Publications 330 and 811:

 The International System of Units (SI)

 Guide for the Use of the International System of Units (SI)

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