The metric system is a decimal system of measurement that is used worldwide, particularly in science and engineering. It's designed to be simple and intuitive, with units that are based on powers of ten. This makes conversions within the system straightforward since they usually involve just shifting the decimal point.
For example, the basic unit of length in the metric system is the meter. Other units of length derive from the meter by multiplying or dividing by powers of ten. This means that:
- Kilometers (km) are 1,000 times larger than a meter
- Centimeters (cm) are 1/100th of a meter
- Millimeters (mm) are 1/1,000th of a meter
This uniformity allows for easy conversion between units simply by multiplying or dividing by factors of ten, making it the preferred system for scientific measurements and simplifying calculations like converting meters to millimeters.