Metric Prefixes and Powers of Ten
The metric system is super easy to use because everything scales by powers of ten. Smaller measurements get prefixes like centi- (1/100), milli- (1/1000), and micro- (1/1,000,000). For example, a centimeter is 1/100 of a meter (0.01m), while a millimeter is 1/1000 of a meter (0.001m).
Larger measurements use prefixes like deci- (1/10) and kilo- (1000). A decimeter equals 0.1 meters, while a kilometer equals 1000 meters. This same pattern works for mass: a kilogram equals 1000 grams, and a milligram is 1/1000 of a gram.
The metric system includes other base units you'll encounter in science classes. The ampere (A) measures electric current, candela (cd) measures light intensity, and mole (mol) counts the amount of a substance. Time is measured in seconds, with 60 seconds in a minute and 60 minutes in an hour.
Learning Tip: The metric system's prefixes work the same way with any base unit. Once you learn that "kilo" means 1000 and "milli" means 1/1000, you can apply this to meters, grams, liters, or any metric measurement!