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The metric system is the system of measurement used in almost all countries. The base units in the metric system are meters for length, liters for capacity, and kilograms for weight. Base Units in Metric System meter, liter, and kilogram In the metric system, multiples of units follow a decimal pattern. That is, they are powers of 10. Other metric units are named by adding metric prefixes to the base units.
The table shows the commonly used metric units of length.
| Unit | Equivalent Unit |
|---|---|
| 1000 millimeters (mm) | 1 meter (m) |
| 100 centimeters (cm) | 1 meter |
| 10 decimeters (dm) | 1 meter |
| 1 dekameter (dam) | 10 meters |
| 1 hectometer (hm) | 100 meters |
| 1 kilometer (km) | 1000 meters |
For measuring capacity, the metric system uses the liter as the base unit.
| Unit | Equivalent Unit |
|---|---|
| 1000 milliliters (mL) | 1 liter (L) |
| 100 centiliters (cL) | 1 liter |
| 10 deciliters (dL) | 1 liter |
| 1 dekaliter (daL) | 10 liters |
| 1 hectoliter (hL) | 100 liters |
| 1 kiloliter (kL) | 1000 liters |
In the metric system, kilogram, gram, and milligram are some commonly used units for measuring weight.
| Unit | Equivalent Unit |
|---|---|
| 1000 milligrams (mg) | 1 gram (g) |
| 100 centigrams (cg) | 1 gram |
| 10 decigrams (dg) | 1 gram |
| 1 dekagram (dag) | 10 grams |
| 1 hectogram (hg) | 100 grams |
| 1 kilogram (kg) | 1000 grams |
Note that each relationship in the tables can be written as a ratio. These ratios can be considered as conversion factors. Units in the metric system can also be converted to units in the customary system and vice versa. This may necessitate recalling a lengthy list of conversion factors.