The metric system is a modern alternative system of measurement used throughout much of the world, as well as in the United States (US). It is commonly used in laboratories.
The metric system uses a series of prefixes, including deci-, centi-, milli-, micro-, and others, and joins them with one of the 3 base units of measurement, the meter (length), the liter (volume), or the gram (mass or weight). These prefixes are added to indicate larger or smaller measures of the base unit.
Base units most frequently used in the histology laboratory are the liter and the gram. Commonly used prefixes (with their symbols and equivalents) in the histology laboratory include:
Base unit = liter
| Prefix + Base Unit | Symbol | Value | Power of 10 |
| Deciliter | dL | 0.1 L | 10-1 |
| Centiliter | cL | 0.01 L | 10-2 |
| Milliliter | mL | 0.001 L | 10-3 |
| Microliter | µL | 0.000001 L | 10-6 |
Base unit = gram
| Prefix + Base Unit | Symbol | Value | Power of 10 |
| Decigram | dg | 0.1 g | 10-1 |
| Centigram | cg | 0.01 g | 10-2 |
| Milligram | mg | 0.001 g | 10-3 |
| Microgram | μg
| 0.000001 g | 10-6 |
FAQs
Read a brief summary of this topic. metric system, international decimal system of weights and measures, based on the metre for length and the kilogram for mass, that was adopted in France in 1795 and is now used officially in almost all countries.
What is the metric system short answer? ›
The metric system is a system of measurement that uses the meter, liter, and gram as base units of length (distance), capacity (volume), and weight (mass) respectively.
What is the metric system quizlet? ›
The metric system is a measurement system based on our decimal (base 10) number system. Other countries and all scientists and engineers use the metric system for measurement. Grams are used to measure mass or the weight of an object.
What is metric simple? ›
The word metric traces back to the French word métriquei, from mèter. The word is most often used to describe a widely used system of measurement based on the meter, called the metric system. Metric can describe the system as well as things related to the metric system.
Why is the metric system? ›
There's a very good reason for this—it's so everyone is doing the measuring the same way, all over the world. Most other countries already use the metric system for measuring everything. Another good reason to use metric is that you don't have so much to remember—no 12 inches in a foot or 5,280 feet in a mile.
What is the metric system also known as _____? ›
Also referred to as the metric system, the System of Units is commonly abbreviated as SI, which comes from the original French name, Système international d'unités. The SI standard builds on an earlier system of measurement called the meter-kilogram-second (MKS) system.
What is the metric system standard? ›
The current international standard for the metric system is the International System of Units (Système international d'unités or SI). It is a system in which all units can be expressed in terms of seven units. The units that serve as the SI base units are the metre, kilogram, second, ampere, kelvin, mole, and candela.
Is the metric system simpler? ›
This is much simpler than the American system of measurement, in which we have to remember inches, feet, miles, and many more units of measurement. Metric prefixes can be used with any base unit. For example, a kilometer is 1,000 meters, a kilogram is 1,000 grams, and a kiloliter is 1,000 liters.
What is the trick to learn the metric system? ›
The mnemonic “King Henry Died Drinking Chocolate Milk” gives students a funny, memorable way to keep the prefixes straight. The song includes an explanation of the following prefixes: kilo, hecto, deca, deci, centi, and milli.
What metric system does us use? ›
Though it was so close at hand, Jefferson, and even France until much later, decided to pass, and the U.S. adopted the British Imperial System of measurement (the one still used in the country today).
The true statements about the metric system in science are: its units are scaled on multiples of 10 making calculations easier; the units include kilograms, meters, liters, and degrees Celsius; and, a common measurement system is essential for the retesting of experiments.
How do you define metrics? ›
Metrics are measures of quantitative assessment commonly used for assessing, comparing, and tracking performance or production.
What is metric in math? ›
In mathematics, metric may refer to one of two related, but distinct concepts: A function which measures distance between two points in a metric space. A metric tensor, in differential geometry, which allows defining lengths of curves, angles, and distances in a manifold.
