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Definition of: metric system
A decimal system of weights and measures having as fundamental units the gram and the meter. From the gram are derived measures of weight, and from the meter measures of length; measures of surface are based on the square meter and measures of capacity on the liter. The table shown above gives the basic and derived units of the metric system, together with abbreviations and a list of equivalent values in customary U. S. standards; originating in a report to the French Academy (1791) it was legalized in France, Nov. 2, 1801; now universally used in scientific measurement.
| LENGTH | EQUIVALENTS | WEIGHT OR MASS | EQUIVALENTS | CAPACITY | EQUIVALENTS | ||||||||||||
| METRIC | U.S. | METRIC | U.S. | METRIC | U. S. | ||||||||||||
| millimeter | (mm) | .001 | m | .03937 | in. | milligram | (mg) | .001 | g | .0154 | gr. | milliliter | (ml) | .001 | l | .033 | fl. oz. |
| centimeter | (cm) | .01 | m | .3937 | in. | centigram | (cg) | .01 | g | .1543 | gr. | centiliter | (cl) | .01 | l | .338 | fl. oz. |
| decimeter | (dm) | .1 | m | 3.937 | in. | decigram | (dg) | .1 | g | 1.543 | gr. | deciliter | (dl) | .1 | l | 3.38 | fl. oz. |
| METER | (m) | 1 | m | 39.37 | in. | GRAM | (g) | 1 | g | 15.43 | gr. | LITER | (l) | 1 | l | 1.056 | li. qts. |
| dekameter | (dkm) | 10 | m | 10.93 | yds. | dekagram | (dkg) | 10 | g | .3527 | oz. av. | dekaliter | (dkl) | 10 | l | .283 | bu. |
| hectometer | (hm) | 100 | m | 328.08 | ft. | hectogram | (hg) | 100 | g | 3.527 | oz. av. | hectoliter | (hl) | 100 | l | 2.837 | bu. |
| kilometer | (km) | 1000 | m | .6213 | mi. | kilogram | (kg) | 1000 | g | 2.2 | lbs. av. | kiloliter | (kl) | 1000 | l | 264.18 | gal. |
| AREA | EQUIVALENTS | VOLUME | EQUIVALENTS | ||||||||
| Other prefixes occasionally used are: MICRO —one millionth; MYRIA —10,000 times; MEGA —1,000,000 times | |||||||||||
| METRIC | U. S. | METRIC | U. S. | ||||||||
| sq. millimeter | (mm2) | .000001 | ca | .00155 | sq. in. | cu. millimeter | (mm3) | .001 | cm3 | .016 | minim |
| sq. centimeter | (cm2) | .0001 | ca | .155 | sq. in. | cu.centimeter | (cc, cm3) | .001 | dm3 | .061 | cu. in. |
| sq. decimeter | (dm2) | .01 | ca | 15.5 | sq. in. | cu. decimeter | (dm3) | .001 | m3 | 61.023 | cu. in. |
| CENTARE | (ca, m2) | 1 | m2 | 10.76 | sq. ft. | STERE | (s, m3) | 1 | m3 | 1.307 | cu. yds. |
| sq. dekameter | (dkm2) | 100 | ca | .0247 | acre | cu. dekameter | (dkm3) | 1000 | m3 | 1307.942 | cu. yds. |
| Also are | (a) | 2.47 | acres | cu. hectometer | (hm3) | 1,000,000 | m3 | 1,307,942.8 | cu. yds. | ||
| sq. hectometer | (hm2) | 10,000 | ca | .386 | sq. mi. | cu. kilometer | (km3) | 1,000,000,000 | m3 | 0.24 | cu. mile |
| Also hectare | (ha) | ||||||||||
| sq. kilometer | (km2) | 1,000,000 | ca | ||||||||
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