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Metric units are units based on the metre, gram or second and decimal (power of ten) multiples or sub-multiples of these. According to Schadow and McDonald, [ 1 ] metric units, in general, are those units "defined 'in the spirit' of the metric system, that emerged in late 18th century France and was rapidly adopted by scientists and engineers.
A metric prefix is a unit prefix that precedes a basic unit of measure to indicate a multiple or submultiple of the unit. All metric prefixes used today are decadic . Each prefix has a unique symbol that is prepended to any unit symbol.
The micrometre (SI symbol: μm) is a unit of length in the metric system equal to 10 −6 metres ( 1 / 1 000 000 m = 0. 000 001 m). To help compare different orders of magnitude , this section lists some items with lengths between 10 −6 and 10 −5 m (between 1 and 10 micrometers , or μm).
A base unit is a unit adopted for expressing a base quantity. A derived unit is used for expressing any other quantity, and is a product of powers of base units. For example, in the modern metric system, length has the unit metre and time has the unit second, and speed has the derived unit metre per second.
The International System of Units, or SI, [1]: 123 is a decimal and metric system of units established in 1960 and periodically updated since then. The SI has an official status in most countries, including the United States , Canada , and the United Kingdom , although these three countries are among the handful of nations that, to various ...
This relationship is compatible with the decimal system of numbers and it contributes greatly to the convenience of metric units. In the early metric system there were two base units, the metre for length and the gram for mass. The other units of length and mass, and all units of area, volume, and derived units such as density were derived from ...
"The metric system is for all people for all time." (Condorcet 1791) Four objects used in making measurements in everyday situations that have metric calibrations are shown: a tape measure calibrated in centimetres, a thermometer calibrated in degrees Celsius, a kilogram mass, and an electrical multimeter which measures volts, amps and ohms.
Milli (symbol m) is a unit prefix in the metric system denoting a factor of one thousandth (10 −3). [1] Proposed in 1793, [2] and adopted in 1795, the prefix comes from the Latin mille, meaning one thousand (the Latin plural is milia).