Metric units can be multiplied or divided by 10 as often as is needed to create units of a useful size for measuring the object under consideration. For example, a unit of 1000 metres, which is the same as 10 x 10 metres, and can be written as 102 metres, is called a kilometre. The prefix “kilo”, meaning one thousand, can be applied to other units. A kilogram (kg) is equal to one thousand grams. Similarly, there is a prefix meaning one thousandth (10-3): milli. So one milligram is the same as a thousandth of a gram. On the right is a list of other prefixes and their meanings.
Length is the measurement of the extent of something along its greatest dimension. The SI basic unit of length, or linear measure, is the meter (m). All measurements of length may be made in meters, though the prefixes listed in various tables will often be more convenient. The width of a room may be expressed as about 5 meters (m), whereas a large distance, such as the distance between New York City and Chicago, is better expressed as 1150 kilometers (km). Very small distances can be expressed in units such as the millimeter or the micrometer. The width of a typical human hair is about 20 micrometers (?m).
Volume is the amount of space occupied by a sample of matter. The volume of a regular object can be calculated by multiplying its length by its width by its height. Since each of those is a linear measurement, we say that units of volume are derived from units of length. The SI unit of volume is the cubic meter (m 3 ), which is the volume occupied by a cube that measures 1 m on each side. This very large volume is not very convenient for typical use in a chemistry laboratory. A liter (L) is the volume of a cube that measures 10 cm (1 dm) on each side. A liter is thus equal to both 1000 cm3 (10 cm × 10 cm × 10 cm) and to 1 dm3. A smaller unit of volume that is commonly used is the milliliter (mL—note the capital L which is a standard practice). A milliliter is the volume of a cube that measures 1 cm on each side. Therefore, a milliliter is equal to a cubic centimeter (cm3). There are 1000 mL in 1 L, which is the same as saying that there are 1000 cm3 in 1 dm3.
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