NursingABC™Conversions of metric quantities are done by the same three-step process, but of course the metric unit equivalencies are used in the conversion factor fractions.
Remember again that:
| 1 kilogram (kg) = 1000 grams (g) | 1000 milligrams (mg) = 1 gram |
| 1,000,000 micrograms (mcg) = 1 gram | 1 kilometer (km) = 1000 meters (m) |
| 1000 millimeters (mm) = 1 meter | 1,000,000 micrometers (mcm) = 1 meter |
| 1000 milliliters (ml) = 1 liter | 1,000,000 microliters (mcl) = 1 liter |
Another metric quantity that we will often encounter is the cubic centimeter (cc or less commonly cm3) unit of volume, which is exactly equivalent to the milliliter (ml) that is:
1 cc = 1 ml
Let's try these simple metric quantity conversions (remember the principle is the same—we apply the same three-step process):
| 1. 458 grams (g) = ? kilograms (kg) | 2. 2.6 liters (l) = ? milliliters (ml) |
| 3. 6.2 kilometers (km) = ? millimeters (mm) |
1. 458 g 
=
0.458 kg
2. 2.6 liters 
= 2600 ml
3. 6.2 km 
= 6,200,000 mm
Notice that the third conversion shown above is a double conversion and also notice that in all metric quantity conversions the only thing that changes is the location of the decimal point since metric unit equivalencies are based on powers of ten.
Now try these metric quantity conversions
Do your work on paper and later check the solutions by clicking
here.
| 1. 0.683 kg = ? g | 2. 245 cc = ? liter |
| 3. 452 mg = ? kg | 4. 4.7 liters = ? cc |