In addition to the base metric units, many other scientific quantities also employ this system of prefixes: Metric prefixes are listed below (The prefixes most-commonly used in chemistry are listed in red): A prefix represents a factor by which the base unit must be multiplied. To change the scale of the base units, prefixes are attached. Outside the United States, the word 'meter' is spelled ' metre' and the word 'liter' is spelled ' litre.' The SI units are used to construct all other units (these are called derived units). The metric-based SystГЁme International or SI units are used to standardize the report or calculation of scientific quantities: It follows from dimensional analysis that 1.0 dm 3 = 1.0 L. The volume ( V) of a cube that has length ( l) = 1.0 cm, width ( w) = 1.0 cm, and height ( h) is given by: The liter is not the SI unit of volume Volume is a unit derived from length. This will be discussed in the section on prefixes. It is then necessary to subdivide or expand our measurement unit. The metric system uses the following base units:ДЇrequently the above units are too small or more often too large to appropriately scale the measured quantity. The English System unit of mass is the slug, which when multiplied by the acceleration of gravity (32 ft/sec 2) gives the weight in pounds. Strictly speaking, weight is the force ( F) associated with a given mass ( m) as it is accelerated ( a) by gravity: The terms mass and weight are often used interchangebly in chemistry.

Because metric units are decimal-based, they are easily converted by moving the decimal point., such as the English system, do not have the same property (For example, 250 inches = 20.8333. A measurement in the metric system that is represented by a rational number remains a rational numberДЄfter metric unit conversion.The metric system is based upon powers of ten, which is convenient because:.The prefixes attached to metric units carry the same meaning for all base units.The majority of countries in the world employ the metric system of measurement.The metric system is the preferred system of scientific units for several reasons: A liter is 1.82 fluid ounces more than a quart.

All units of measurement table