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2.1.1: Systems of measurment (Metric system and SI system)

  • Page ID
    370140
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    Learning Objective
    • Learn the units that go with various quantities
    • Express units using their abbreviations
    • Make new units by combining numerical prefixes with units

    A number indicates "how much," but the unit indicates "of what." The "of what" is important when communicating a quantity. For example, if you were to ask a friend how close you are to Lake Erie and your friend says "six," then your friend isn't giving you complete information. Six what? Six miles? Six inches? Six city blocks? The actual distance to the lake depends on what units you use.


    2.1.1: Systems of measurment (Metric system and SI system) is shared under a CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by LibreTexts.