Metric System
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Definition
A decimal-based international system of measurement built on seven SI base units, used officially by every country in the world except the United States, Myanmar, and Liberia.
Explanation
France introduced the metric system in 1799, initially defining the meter as one ten-millionth of the Earth's quadrant. The system's power lies in its decimal structure: converting between units requires only multiplying or dividing by powers of 10 (e.g., 1 km = 1,000 m = 100,000 cm). Science, medicine, and international trade use metric universally. The US customary system, while distinct, defines all its units in terms of metric equivalents since the Mendenhall Order of 1893.
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RELATED TERMS
Metric Prefix
A prefix that indicates a decimal multiple or fraction of a unit (kilo-, mega-, milli-, micro-, etc.).
Hectare
A metric unit of area equal to 10,000 square meters or 2.471 acres.
Bar
A unit of pressure equal to 100,000 pascals, slightly less than standard atmospheric pressure.
Decimal System
A base-10 numbering system in which each place value is ten times the next smaller value, forming the mathematical foundation of the metric system.
CGS System
A metric unit system based on the centimeter, gram, and second as fundamental units, used in some branches of physics and electromagnetism.