Metric Weights and Measures

  
Helpful Hints | Metric System | Metric Conversions
Most of the world uses the metric system. The only countries not on this system are Burma, Liberia, Muscat, South Yemen, and the United States of America. The metric system is based on 10s. For example, 10 millimeters make 1 centimeter, 10 centimeters make 1 decimeter, and 10 decimeters make a meter (39.37 inches).
A millimicron is
one thousandth
of one millionth
of one meter.

Units smaller than a meter have Latin prefixes:

  • Deci- means 10; 10 decimeters make a meter.
  • Centi- means 100; 100 centimeters make a meter.
  • Milli- means 1,000; 1,000 millimeters make a meter.

Units larger than a meter have Greek prefixes:

  • Deka- means 10; a dekameter is 10 meters.
  • Hecto- means 100; a hectometer is 100 meters.
  • Kilo- means 1,000; a kilometer is 1,000 meters.

Helpful Hints

The Metric System

Length
Unit Value
Kilometer (km) 1,000 meters
Hectometer (hm) 100 meters
Dekameter (dam or dkm) 10 meters
meter (m) 1 meter
Decimeter (dm) 0.1 meter
Centimeter (cm) 0.01 meter
Millimeter (mm) 0.001 meter
Capacity
Unit Value
Kiloliter (kl) 1,000 liters
Hectoliter (hl) 100 liters
Dekaliter (dal or dkl) 10 liters
liter (l) 1 liter
Deciliter (dl) 0.1 liter
Centiliter (cl) 0.01 liter
Milliliter (ml) 0.001 liter

Metric Conversions

All you'll need to know about metric conversions!
Multiply By To Find
Centimeters 0.0328 feet
Centimeters 0.3937 inches
Feet 30.4801 centimeters
Feet/minutes 0.507 cent./seconds
Foot-pounds 0.1383 meter-kilograms
Gallons 3,785.4 cubic centimeters
Gallons 3.7853 liters
Grams 0.0353 ounces
Grams 0.0022 pounds
Inches 2.54 centimeters
Inches 0.0833 feet
Kilograms 2.2046 pounds
Kilometers 3,280.833 feet
Kilometers 0.6214 miles
Kilometers/hour 54.68 feet/minute
Kilometers/hour 0.6214 miles/hour
Knots 1.8532 kilometers/hour
Liters 1.0567 quarts
Meters 3.2808 feet
Meters 39.37 inches
Meters 1.0936 yards
Meter-kilograms 7.2307 foot-pounds
Meters/minute 1.667 centimeters/second
Meters/minute 0.0547 feet/second
Miles 1.6093 kilometers
Miles/hour 0.8684 knots
Miles/hour 1.6093 kilometers/hour
Miles/hour 0.447 meters/second
Ounces 28.3495 grams
Ounces 2.8349x10(2) kilograms
Pounds 453.5924 grams
Pounds 0.4536 kilograms
Quarts 0.946 liters
Quarts (dry) 67.2 cubic inches
Quarts (liquid) 57.75 cubic inches
Sq. centimeters 0.0011 square feet
Sq. kilometers 0.3861 square miles
Sq. kilometers 1.196x10(6) square yards
Sq. meters 10.7639 square feet
Sq. meters 1.196 square yards
Sq. miles 2.59 square kilometers
Sq. yards 0.8361 square meters
Yards 91.44 centimeters
Yards 0.9144 meters
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