Metric Conversion Trick!! Part 1
BrainSTEM・1 minute read
Prefixes in metric conversions can be remembered using the saying "King Henry died by drinking chocolate milk," with each letter representing a prefix: K for kilo, H for hecto, D for deca, B for base unit, D for deci, C for centi, and M for milli. These prefixes are added to the base unit, such as grams, liters, or meters, to indicate measurements like kilograms, kiloliters, or kilometers, with each prefix representing a specific multiplier.
Insights
- The mnemonic "King Henry died by drinking chocolate milk" helps remember metric prefixes: K for kilo, H for hecto, D for deca, B for base unit, D for deci, C for centi, and M for milli, each representing a specific multiplier when added to base units like grams or liters.
- Converting between metric prefixes involves moving the decimal point: from centi to milli, shift right; from milli to liters, shift left three places; from grams to kilograms, shift left three places; and from meters to centimeters, shift right two places, ensuring accurate placement of the decimal point after whole numbers.
Get key ideas from YouTube videos. It’s free
Recent questions
How can metric prefixes be remembered?
Using the saying "King Henry died by drinking chocolate milk."
Related videos
Summary
00:00
Metric Prefix Conversions Made Simple
- Prefixes in metric conversions can be remembered using the saying "King Henry died by drinking chocolate milk," with each letter representing a prefix: K for kilo, H for hecto, D for deca, B for base unit, D for deci, C for centi, and M for milli.
- These prefixes are added to the base unit, such as grams, liters, or meters, to indicate measurements like kilograms, kiloliters, or kilometers, with each prefix representing a specific multiplier.
- To convert between prefixes, identify the starting point and move the decimal accordingly: from centi to milli, move one place to the right; from milli to liters, move three places to the left; from grams to kilograms, move three places to the left; and from meters to centimeters, move two places to the right.
- When dealing with whole numbers in conversions, remember that the decimal point is placed right after the whole number, and when converting from meters to centimeters, move the decimal two places to the right, adding zeros as needed for accuracy.
