A Brief History of Measurement Systems
The English system of measurement was developed in the 1200s in England. It was made up of units from a lot of different measurement systems that people had been using. Then in the 1790s, some French scientists developed the metric system. The metric system was made to be very easy to use. The names of the units are easy to remember, and switching between the units is much easier than in the English system. Currently, the United States is the only major world country that is not using the metric system for all of our measurements. People have tried to get the US to switch to the metric system for hundreds of years. Thomas Jefferson tried to make the switch in the 1790s. However, people don't want to switch because it would be expensive to change our signs and measuring equipment. Also, while the metric system is much easier to use, it seems harder at first because we are used to the English system. Scientists in the US communicate with scientists all over the world, so scientists in the US use the metric system. Therefore, in science classes for the rest of your life you will be learning the metric system. If the US ever changes completely over to the metric system, it will be much easier for you.
Length
You are probably very familiar with the concept of length. Metric system tools that you would use to measure length include a metric ruler and a meter stick. English system tools include a ruler and a yard stick.
Mass
Mass refers to the amount of matter (atoms and molecules) in an object. A car has a greater mass than a person because a car is made up of more "stuff." There are a number of ways to measure mass. You use a scale, but we will use a triple beam balance in class.
Volume
Volume refers to the amount of space an object takes up. You will use a graduated cylinder, flask, or beaker to determine the volume of a liquid.Temperature
You are also very familiar with the concept of temperature. Thermometers are used to measure temperature. The metric units for temperature are degrees Celsius. The English units are degrees Fahrenheit. The math gets a little complicated to switch from degrees Celsius to degrees Fahrenheit. The most important information to know is:
| Freezing Temperature of Water |
Boiling Temperature of Water |
|
| Celsius (C) | 0 | 100 |
| Fahrenheit (F) | 32 | 212 |
Metric Units & Abbreviations
| Length | Length Abbreviations |
Mass | Mass Abbreviations |
Volume | Volume Abbreviations |
| kilometer | km | kilogram | kg | kiloliter | kL |
| hectometer | hm | hectogram | hg | hectoliter | hL |
| decameter | dam | decagram | dag | decaliter | daL |
| meter | m | gram | g | liter | L |
| decimeter | dm | decigram | dg | deciliter | dL |
| centimeter | cm | centigram | cg | centiliter | cL |
| millimeter | mm | milligram | mg | milliliter | mL |
English Units & Abbreviations
| Length | Length Abbreviations |
Mass | Mass Abbreviations |
Volume | Volume Abbreviations |
| inch | in. | ounce | oz. | teaspoon | tsp. |
| foot | ft. | pound | lb. | tablespoon | Tbsp. |
| yard | yd. | fluid ounce | fl. oz. | ||
| mile | mi. | cup | c. | ||
| pint | pt. | ||||
| quart | qt. | ||||
| gallon | gal. |
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