Help for Teaching the Metric System

[awtl]

I'm trying to help my sister with the metric system. She had it before, she just doesn't remember it so I think she needs to take it from the beginning. I was wondering if anyone could recommend websites or books that would give a basic, clear understanding of the metric system as well as how to convert between units. Something that she could do on her own. Thanks.

[Nomen Nescio]

Here are some points which may help gain an intuitive grasp of the Metric system:

 

A lot of people say that they have trouble associating Celsius temperatures with how they feel. This mnemonic helps:

 

30 is hot,

20 is nice,

10 is cold,

0 is ice.

 

I've also seen this one:

 

Zero is freezing

Ten is not

Twenty is pleasing

Thirty is hot

 

Notice also that the numbers used for human temperature ranges are not round numbers in Fahrenheit. It's because they're actually converted from Celsius, which is the standard they're based on. In Celsius, they're round numbers:

 

37 C = 98.6 F = Average human body temperature

38 C = 100.4 = The start of a fever

40 C = 104 = The starting range of a fever that could cause brain damage

 

For mass, it's useful to note:

 

* A nickel is standardized at 5 grams.

* Not only is water 1 g/ml, but most liquids you use in cooking are close enough to this density that weighing on a digital scale is quicker and easier than taking volumetric measurements. Every house should have a digital scale in any case.

 

Length:

 

* A CD/DVD is 12 cm across. The distance between the edge and the hole is 5 cm. The hole itself is 2 cm wide.

* When you need a ballpark conversion between cm and in, remember that inches are quarters and centimeters are dimes. E.g., a 32-inch TV screen is 32 quarters -- half, 16; half again 8; times ten equals 80 dimes -- 80 cm diagonally.

 

Speed:

 

50 km/h - residential

70 km/h - service roads

100 km/h - highways

110 km/h - interstate

130 km/h - only in West Texas

[KAR120C]

130 km/h - only in West Texas

Love it!

 

For temperature I go "cold-cool-warm-hot" for 0-10-20-30. And now that I live in the south I've had to add something for 40C... but it's not so catchy and I can't really use it in polite company.... :D

 

The only thing I'd add to the conversions list is that a liter and a quart are very nearly the same size.

[Lori D.]

Metric Conversion Pyramid

(see comparison of how much feet, pounds, Celsius degrees etc. are in the metric system of meters, grams and Farenheit degrees)

 

 

Chart of Metric System Units, Symbols, and Prefixes

Chart of what the metric prefixes mean

(chart of the order of the prefixes used in the metric system and what each means; ex: deca = ten, while deci = tenth)

 

 

Metric Conversion

(helpful starting point for how to compare what the different measurements mean)

 

 

How To Learn the Metric System

Think Metric

(websites with explanations of how the metric system works and how to learn it)

[Nomen Nescio]

The only thing I'd add to the conversions list is that a liter and a quart are very nearly the same size.

Indeed, what they call a "fifth" is actually 750 ml.

 

It's funny how many people feel comfortable saying how many yards away something is, but couldn't tell you what that is in meters. They're really pretty close. Sometimes you see wire stories about military action that use Yards for the American/British audiences and the same number of meters for the rest of the world.

[Julie in MN]

If she needs to work with it for a while, there's a Key To Metric set.

Julie