Metric Stairstep
Science
Learning how to use the metric staircase to convert between metric measurements.
In this video I'm going to show you how to use the metric staircase to convert between metric measurements. As you can see, it looks like a staircase. Now my middle stair is my base unit, so that could be meters liters or gram. If I wanted to convert between grams and milligrams, I'm given 5 grams, so I'm going to start on the gram stair. Gram is one of my base units. So I'm starting right there. I'm converting to milligrams, so I'm looking for that small M, which is down there. And I'm going down one, two, three stairs. Since this is just like multiplying by ten for each stair, I actually just have to move my decimal place to the right three times. One, two, three. So I'm going down three stairs, which means I'm moving the decimal to the right three times.
So I'm starting at 5. We can always assume our decimal place is right after the number. By moving it over three to the right, one, two, three, and then I can fill in my spots with zeros. So 5 grams is 5000 milligrams. Let's look at another one. Starting with 20 meters. So I want to know how many kilometers that is. Meter again is one of my base units. So I'm starting on my base. And this time I'm going up the stairs to kilometers. One, two, three stairs. That's just like dividing by ten each time, which actually means I'm moving my decimal to the left, three spots. So if I'm starting with 20, I can assume my decimal places on the end that I'm moving it to the left three times. One, two, three. That last one, I'm gonna have to fill in a zero. So 20 meters is actually 0.02 zero kilometers. For example three is converting from liters to milliliters, liters again is one of my base units. So I'm starting on my base stair. And I'm converting to milliliters, which is my small M so how many stairs am I going down? One, two, three, stairs again.
Then because I'm going down on moving my decimal to the right three spots. So I'm starting with 2.5. And I'm moving it to the right three spots. One, two, three, my decimal will be there and I can fill those in with zeros. So 2.5 liters is actually 2500 mL. A few more examples. 4.5 meters going to millimeters. Meters is my base. I'm going to millimeters. So I'm going down one, two, three spots. If I move my decimal place over, one, two, three, so I'm going to be left with 4500. Millimeters. Okay, if I just erase those. Starting with my next one. I'm going from centimeters to millimeters. Okay, so this time I'm not starting on the base stair. I'm starting on the centimeter stair. And I'm moving down to millimeters. So because I'm moving down one stair, that means I'm moving the decimal, one place to the right, which is actually leading me with three .34 millimeters. Okay, and let's erase my stairs. 12.5 meters.
Converting to centimeters. So meter is my base stair. And this time I'm going down to the centimeter stair. So let's count. One. Two. Two stares down, which means two decimals to the right. And I'm going to be at 1250 centimeters. Erase my stairs. I have 1.5 liters. That's a base unit. And I'm going all the way down to decimeters. So I was starting up my base. I'm moving one stair to the right, and remember if we're going down the stairs, our decimal goes to the right. So one spot, 15 liters is 15 decimeters. We'll erase my stairs. And now I'm growing from meters to kilometers. Meters is my fate. And kilometers is one, two, three stairs to the left, which means I'm going one, two, three spots, which is gonna leave me the 5 decimal 6 9 four. And the last one.
I'm converting from center grams to milligrams. 70 gram is my stair right there. Going down one to Millie. Because I'm going down the stair and moving my decimal one place to the right. I can assume it's right after the 37. So now I'll be at 370 milligrams. And that is the basics of the metric staircase. If you have any questions, please leave them in the comment section below.