Measurement Conversions — Answer Key
Part A: Fix the Sentence
Each sentence has an error. Rewrite it correctly on the line.
1. Fix the sentence:
3 kilometers = 300 meters because 1 kilometer equals 100 meters.
Corrected: 3 kilometers = 3,000 meters because 1 kilometer equals 1,000 meters and 1,000 × 3 = 3,000.
The corrected sentence is: "3 kilometers = 3,000 meters because 1 kilometer equals 1,000 meters and 1,000 × 3 = 3,000.". The original sentence "3 kilometers = 300 meters because 1 kilometer equals 100 meters." contained an error that needed to be fixed.
2. Fix the sentence:
5,000 grams = 50 kilograms because you divide by 100.
Corrected: 5,000 grams = 5 kilograms because you divide by 1,000 and 5,000 ÷ 1,000 = 5.
The corrected sentence is: "5,000 grams = 5 kilograms because you divide by 1,000 and 5,000 ÷ 1,000 = 5.". The original sentence "5,000 grams = 50 kilograms because you divide by 100." contained an error that needed to be fixed.
3. Fix the sentence:
4 liters = 400 milliliters because there are 100 milliliters in a liter.
Corrected: 4 liters = 4,000 milliliters because there are 1,000 milliliters in a liter and 1,000 × 4 = 4,000.
The corrected sentence is: "4 liters = 4,000 milliliters because there are 1,000 milliliters in a liter and 1,000 × 4 = 4,000.". The original sentence "4 liters = 400 milliliters because there are 100 milliliters in a liter." contained an error that needed to be fixed.
Part B: Fill in the Blank
Write the missing word or number on each line.
1. 1 meter = 100 centimeters
1 meter = 100 centimeters. Metric prefix centi- means one-hundredth.
2. 2 kilograms = 2000 grams
1 kilogram = 1,000 grams. 2 × 1,000 = 2,000 grams.
3. 7,000 milliliters = 7 liters
1 liter = 1,000 milliliters. 7,000 ÷ 1,000 = 7 liters.
4. 500 centimeters = 5 meters
1 meter = 100 cm. 500 ÷ 100 = 5 meters.
Part C: Short Answer
Answer each question in one or two complete sentences.
1. A water bottle holds 2 liters. How many milliliters is that? Show your work.
Sample answer: Since 1 liter equals 1,000 milliliters, multiply 2 by 1,000 to get 2,000 milliliters.
2 L × 1,000 mL/L = 2,000 mL.
2. How does the metric system make converting units easier than the customary system?
Sample answer: The metric system uses powers of 10, so you just move the decimal point or multiply and divide by 10, 100, or 1,000.
Unlike customary units (12 in/ft, 3 ft/yd, 5,280 ft/mi), metric conversions are always multiples of 10, making arithmetic simpler.