Conversions Between Metric System Units Conversions between metric system units are easy because the system is based on powers of ten. For example, there are 100 centimeters in 1 meter, 1000 meters in ...

Like other metric units, the new prefixes represent powers of 10 — just as 1,000 grams of mass, or 10 x 10 x 10, or 10 3, is a kilogram, and 1/1000 of a meter in length, or 10 -3, is a millimeter.