Metric

(met’-rik) [//irpov, a measure]. Pertaining to the system of weights and measures, of which the meter is the basis. M. System, a decimal system of weights and measures employed in France, Germany, and other countries, and used generally in the sciences. The standard is the meter, the ten-millionth part of the distance from the equator to the north-pole. The actual standard unit is the distance between two lines on a platinum-iridium rod preserved in the archives of the International Metric Commi ion at Paris, and is equivalent to 39.37079 inches; in the U. S. the length of the meter is a umed as 39.37 inches. The standard of capacity is the liter, a cubical volume y1^ meter in each dimension. The standard of weight is the gram, the weight of yoV 0 ^ter (one CUDic centimeter) of distilled water at its maximum density. As the unit of microscopic measurement the thousandth part of a millimeter has been adopted. It is called micro millimeter, or micron; its symbol is fi. The multiples in the metric system are expre ed by the prefixes dec a, hecto, and kilo; the subdivisions by*the prefixes dec i, cent i, and mill i. = I0OO meters 1 kilometer. IOO meters = 1 hectometer. 10 meters = 1 decameter. meter = 1 decimeter..01.1 meter = 1 centimeter..001 meter = 1 millimeter. 1000 liters = 1 kiloliter. IOO liters = 1 hectoliter. 10 liters = 1 decaliter..1 liter = 1 deciliter..01 liter = 1 centiliter..001 liter = 1 milliliter. = I kilogram. 1000 100 = 1 hectogram, grams = 1 decagram. grams = 1 decigram. 10.or grams = 1 centigram..001.1 = 1 milligram. gramgram In common practice, however, the following divisions only gram are used, the others being expre ed in figures: — 10 millimeters = 1 centimeter. 100 centimeters = 1 meter. 1000 meters = 1 kilometer. 1000 cubic centimeters = 1 liter. 1000 milligrams = 1 gram. kilogram. 1000 grams = The following are the equivalent values:— 1 meter = 39.37 inches. 1 liter = 1 quart %. gill, U. S. measure. 1 gram = 15.43 grains. 1 minim = 0.061 cubic centimeter. See, also, Weights and Measures. 393