Chapter 1 Measurements in Science and Medicine Flashcards
Define Unit
a measurement with a size that everyone knows or understands and is used as a base for calculating other measurements.
Define Base Unit
The starting point for units. All other units are determined by the defining characteristic of a base unit.
Define Derived Unit
Derived unit is a base unit with a prefix that modifies the value of the base unit.
How can the relationship between a base unit and a derived unit be represented in numerical terms?
a number like 1000 or 1/1000
a power of 10 like 10^3 or 10^-3
abbreviations
How are abbreviations determined for base units and derived units?
abbreviations for base units are the first letter of the unit name.
abbreviations for the derived units are the first letter of the prefix and the first letter of the base unit word
examples:
meter is m
centimeter is cm
Are metric abbreviations upper case or lower case and why?
Provide example
lowercase
because upper case are used for less common derived units
example: Mega is capital M
What is the abbreviation for the prefix micro and why?
micro is written as the greek letter μ (mu) because m is used for milli
What type of unit is Liter and what does it measure?
base vs derived
Liter is the base unit that measure volume, how much space and object occupies.
What type of unit is Gram and what does it measure
base vs derived
Gram is a the base unit that measures mass, how heavy an object is
Define Kilo as a number and a power of 10.
Identify its abbreviation
Provide an example with meter as the base unit.
It represents 1,000 times a base unit or 10^3
abbreviation is lowercase k
kilometer (km) is 1000 meters
Define Deci as a number and a power of 10
Identify its abbreviation
Provide an example with meter as the base unit.
1/10 of a base unit
10^-1
Deci (d)
decimeter (dm) 1/10 of a meter
Define centi as a number and a power of ten
Identify its abbreviation
Provide an example with meter as the base unit.
1/100 of a base unit
10^-2
centi (c)
centimenter (cm) 1/100 of a meter
Define milli as a number and a power of 10
Identify its abbreviation
Provide an example with meter as the base unit.
1/1000 of a base unit
10^-3
milli (m)
millimeter (mm) 1/1000 of a meter
Define micro as a number and a power of 10
Identify its abbreviation
Provide an example with meter as the base unit.
1/1,000,000 of a base unit
10^-6
micro (μ)
micrometer (μm) 1/1,000,000 of a meter
What alternate abbreviation might be used for micro instead of μ?
mc
define Volume
the amout of space something takes up
can the dimensions of volume change or do they stay the same?
dimensions can change but the volume remains the same
What is the base unit of volume for the metric system
Liter
What are the most common derived units of the Liter?
milliliter (mL)
deciliter (dL)
microliter (μL)
Define mass
Measures the strength of the resistance of an object when pushed.
How is mass different than weight
Objects would have the same mass on multiple planets but would have a different weight because of the difference in gravity.
What are the most common derived units of the gram?
milligram (mg)
kilogram (kg)
microgram (μg)
What is the modern version of the metric system called?
Identify its abbreviation.
International System of Units
SI
What are the International System of Units (SI) base units
volume: cubic meter, which is the same as 1 L
mass: kilogram
distance: meter