Discuss some of the basic metric units. The main unit for distance is the meter. The main unit for mass is the gram. For temperature, the metric system uses degrees Celsius. For measuring liquid, the metric unit is liters. From these units, you can use the prefixes in order to make the unit larger or smaller.
State the relationship between the prefixes and the factors. Tell the students that the metric system contains a base of ten to various powers. The type of power that ten is raised to is based on the prefix for that power. For example 10^-3 refers to the milli- prefix. There is a pattern for this.
Make a list of the basic prefixes and factors for the positive powers. The deka prefix is for 10^1, hecto is for 10^2, kilo is for 10^3, mega is for 10^6, giga is for 10^9, and tera is for 10^12.
Provide students with the abbreviations for the positive power metric units. The abbreviation for deka is da, hecto is h, kilo is k, mega is M, giga is G, and tera is T. The abbreviation is placed before the general measurement. For example, six kilograms is abbreviated 6 kg.
Make a list for the basic prefixes and factors for the negative powers. The deci prefix is for 10^-1, centi is 10^-2, milli is 10^-3, micro is 10-6, nano is 10^-9, and pico is 10^-12.
Provide the students with the abbreviations for the prefixes of the negative powers. The abbreviation for deci is d, centi is c, milli is m, micro is µ, nano is n, and pico is p. For example, 10 centigrams is 10 cg.
Show the students how to use dimensional analysis in order to convert from one unit to another. For example, you may want to convert 6 meters to centimeters. Based on the conversion list, you know that there are 10^-2 meters in one centimeter. The first ratio is 6 meters over 1. The second ratio is 1 centimeter over 10^-2 meters. Multiplying these ratios gives you 600 centimeters. So, there are 600 centimeters in 6 meters.