b.
Examples:
(1)
1 milliliter
=
1/1000 X 1 liter or 0.001 liters.
(2)
1 microgram
=
1/1,000,000 X 1 gram or 0.000001 grams.
(3)
1 dekameter
=
10 X 1 meter or 10 meters.
1-35. BASIC UNITS OF THE METRIC SYSTEM
a. The Meter. The meter is the unit of length upon which the other units of the
metric system are based.
(1)
The meter is equal to 1/40,000,000 of the earth's polar circumference.
(2)
One meter is equal to 39.37 inches.
(3)
Abbreviation: m.
NOTE: The liter and the gram are the units of the metric system most used in the
pharmacy. The meter is seldom used in the pharmacy.
b. The Liter. The liter is the basic unit of volume used to measure liquids in the
pharmacy.
(1)
One liter is equal to the volume of one cubic decimeter of water at
4C. (see the diagram of the liter).
(2)
Abbreviation: L or l.
The Liter
(3)
There are 1000 cubic centimeters (cc's) of water in a liter. (See the
diagram above.)
MD0802
1-46