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1.3 SI Unit Conversion—Extra Practice
1.3
Science is about exploring and understanding the universe, from the tiniest subatomic particles to the mind-
boggling expanses of interstellar space. We gain understanding by asking questions, observing, measuring, and
sharing results with others. You will use SI (metric) measuring tools for this purpose throughout the year. This
skill sheet will help you become familiar with the SI prefixes you will use to measure length, mass, and volume.
Here are the prefixes you will use to report measurements:
Prefix
kilo-
hecto-
deka-
Basic unit
deci-
centi-
milli-
(no prefix)
Symbol
k
h
da
m, g, l
d
c
m
Multiplication Factor
1,000
100
10
1
0.1
0.01
0.001
or Place-Value
1. How many centimeters are there in 24 meters?
a.
Restate the question: 24 meters = __________centimeters.
b. Use the place value chart above to determine the
multiplication factor, and solve.
Count the number of places on the chart it takes to move
from meters (the ones place) to centimeters (the
hundredths place). Since it takes 2 moves to the right,
the multiplication factor is 100. Move the decimal two places to the right.
Solution: multiply 24 × 100 = 2,400.
Answer: There are 2,400 centimeters in 24 meters.
Use the chart above to help you answer the following questions.
Part A: Distance conversions
1. Earth’s diameter is 12,756 kilometers. How many meters is this?
2. The diameter of Earth’s moon is 3,476 kilometers. Express this distance in centimeters.
3. The average distance between Earth and its moon is 384,000,000 meters. Express this distance in kilometers.
4. A billion years ago, Earth and its moon were just 200,000 kilometers apart. Express this distance in meters.