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The '''metric system''' is the common name for the ''Système International d'Unités'' or ''International System of Units.'' In scientific work, it is abbreviated ''SI.'' It is called the "metric system" because its units of length are based on the meter.
In 1878 the U. S. signed the treaty called the ''Convention du Mètre.'' Since then, ''both'' the metric system and the "U. S. Customary" system (miles, inches, pounds, etc.) have had legal status in the U. S. U. S. Customary units are in fact defined by reference to metric units; that is, legally, an inch is ''defined'' to be exactly 25.4 millimeters.
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|+ Common Prefixes Used in the Metric System
|+ Common Prefixes Used in the Metric System