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Metric System Converter

Easily convert between different metric units of length, weight, and capacity!

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Mastering the Metric System

The Power of 10

The metric system is brilliant because it is entirely based on the number 10. To convert between units, you never have to memorize strange numbers like 12 inches or 5,280 feet.

Instead, you simply move the decimal point to the left (by dividing) or to the right (by multiplying) by powers of 10 (10, 100, 1000).

The Golden Rule of Conversion

  • Big to Small When converting from a larger unit to a smaller unit, Multiply (the number gets bigger).
    Example: km to m (Multiply by 1000)
  • Small to Big When converting from a smaller unit to a larger unit, Divide (the number gets smaller).
    Example: mm to cm (Divide by 10)

King Henry Died By Drinking Chocolate Milk!

This classic memory trick helps you remember the order of the metric prefixes from largest to smallest. The "By" stands for your Base Unit (Meter, Gram, or Liter).

King
Kilo (k)
1000
Henry
Hecto (h)
100
Died
Deca (da)
10
By
Base
m / g / L
Drinking
Deci (d)
0.1
Chocolate
Centi (c)
0.01
Milk
Milli (m)
0.001
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