This math skill involves converting smaller metric units (like milligrams) to their base unit (like grams) by using their metric prefixes. It teaches how to translate the prefix into a power of ten and then apply that to convert the unit.
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Converting from smaller metric units to base
Test your understanding of converting from smaller metric units and base by practicing it! Work through the below exercises to use it in practice.
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Let's convert 42 milligrams into grams. Once you know how to work with metric prefices on one type of measurement, like grams for weight, you can use them on any metric unit like meters, or liters.
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First we look at the prefix on each unit. We are converting from milli to grams, which is the base unit. Milli means 1 one thousandth, and since grams is the base unit, there is no power of ten that we need to think of there.
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So 42 milligrams is 42 thousandths of a gram, or 42 over 1000.
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If we express that as a decimal it's zero point zero four 2 grams.