Guide to the Use of the Metric System

18th edition (2022) of the USMA’s Guide to the Use of the Metric System

A newly-updated easy-to-use 39-page metric system style guide that shows the metric units and symbols and how to use them correctly. It includes:

• commonly used units and prefixes
• detailed sections showing all units
• rules and conventions for metric unit usage
• illustrations to help you remember units and their sizes
• tables that provide such data as forming different sizes of metric units
• sections showing the quantities that metric units represent
• appendixes with conversion factors, etc.

This guide is also a very useful reference for teachers.

Hard/paper copies: $15 each, plus $4.00 shipping & handling
Electronic/PDF copy: $12.00 each

For multiple hard copies, contact USMA via mail or email for the cost of shipping and handling. Visa, MasterCard, and Discover accepted. Send orders to USMA.

Table of Contents

1. Introduction
   1. Definitions
2. Commonly Used Metric System Units & Symbols
   1. Commonly Used Units
   2. Commonly Used Prefixes
   3. Metric (Everyday) Temperature Unit
   4. Structuring Metric Units
   5. Inch-Pound Unit Replacements
   6. Remembering Sizes of Metric System Units
3. Rules and Conventions for Using the Metric System
   1. Capitals
   2. Plurals
   3. Periods
   4. Spacing
   5. Symbol Usage
   6. Pronunciation
   7. Superscripts
   8. Mixing Metric and Inch-Pound System Terms
   9. Spelling Out Numbers with SI Units/Symbols
   10. Stating of Ranges for SI Units/Symbols
   11. Approved Non-Metric Units
   12. Conversion Factors
4. Technical Metric Data
   1. SI Base Units
   2. Derived Units
   3. Derived Unit Names
   4. Metric Unit Prefixes
   5. Prefix Rules
   6. Spelling
   7. Multiples/Submultiples
   8. Kelvin Temperature
   9. Italic Typeface Not Used for Metric Symbols
   10. Mixing Multiples/Submultiples in a Statement
   11. Showing Division with Metric Units & Symbols
   12. Showing Multiplication with Metric Symbols & Units
   13. Fractions
   14. Using Modifiers Involving Squared or Cubed Units
5. General SI Information
   1. Volume
   2. Mass and Force
   3. Mass
   4. Force
   5. Hard versus Soft Metric Dimensions
   6. Rounding Off and Tolerances in Soft Conversion
   7. International Standards
   8. Metric Nation Differing Practices/Conventions
   9. Automobile Fuel Consumption
   10. Obsolete Metric System Units & Symbols
   11. Acceptable Non-Metric (and Non-SI) Units
   12. Technical Unit Usage
   13. Major Reference Documents

1. Commonly Used Non-SI Units & SI Base/Derived Unit Replacements
2. ISO International Paper Sizes
3. Commonly Used Metric Unit Conversion Factors
4. Metric System Equivalents for Some Unusual Units
5. Approximate Conversions for Fractions of an Inch into Millimeters
6. Relationships of SI Derived Units with Special Names and SI Base Units

Index

List of Tables

1. Forming Different Sizes of Metric Units
2. Quick Reference Guide for Everyday Metric Units
3. Approximate Conversion Factors for Inch-Pound and Metric Units
4. SI Metric Unit Prefixes
5. Non-SI Units Approved for Use (or Currently Being Used) in the SI
6. Relationship of SI Units & Units Approved in SI Usage

List of Figures

1. Antoine Frame-of-Reference Items for Remembering Metric Units
2. Radian and Steradian Measurement Illustration

Last updated: 2022-05-01