What is the easiest way to convert within the metric system?

Answer 1

Well, the easiest way is to type it into Google. You heard right, type it into Google. Google has a really neat feature that is part of their search engine that allows one to quickly and naturally convert from one unit to another (as long as they are compatible, i.e. unit of weight converted to another unit of weight).

Heres how you do it:

Just type: "<what ever you want converted>" to "<what unit you want to end up with>"

into Google.

Try it now! Type 2000 lbs to kg and magically Google gives you an answer! It will even do the silliest things (as long as the units are convertible). Try this one: <one weber per meter squared in kilowebers per square mile>. Or this one: <1000 kilometers per fortnight in feet per second>. It's crazy!

My favorite is converting every distance into smoots. Using an online calculator is fine but won't always be available and it won't help you understand the process. Here is how to understand the whole issue of unit conversions: 1) Make sure the units are really convertible. This should go without saying, but one frequently finds someone asking--how many inches in a kilogram....etc. 2) Understand that ANY number or fraction can be multiplied or divided by 1 or 1/1 or 16 Oz/1 lb or 2.2 lbs/1 kg or any ratio where the top is one thing and the bottom is an equivalent, without changing it. We use a ratio sign ":" which should not cause a problem. So for practice let's figure out how many smoots (67 inches) are in a micrometer (a millionth of a meter...um): You may have to puzzle out the formatting here, but these are basically three unit ratios. I use "um" to mean micrometers So by simple cancellation we get A little calculator math will get you a smoot /1.7 x 106 micrometers. Remember this means that a smoot = 1.7 106 micrometers

Answer 2

Converting within the metric system is easy, since it only involves moving the decimal point and not having to memorize different numbers

(12 inches into 1 ft, 3 ft in 1 yard, etc is much more difficult)

the trick is knowing what factor of 10 each metric prefix means. kilo = 1000, centi = 1/100 or .01 and so on.

the easiest way of converting anything is to set up a series of conversion factors (or ratios).

If you want to convert kilometers to meters and then again to centimeters:

87 km * ( 1000 m / 1 km)

the km units "cancel out" just like algebraic variables, leaving you with only meters.

87 km * ( 1000 m / 1 km) * ( 100 cm / 1 m)

here the km and the m cancel out leaving you with only cm.

Answer 3

Ask anyone from outside the US what system of weights and measures is used in his country.