what metric unit is used to describe the mass of an object
kilogram
title: Metric system text: Metric system The metric system is an internationally recognised decimalised system of measurement. It is in widespread use, and where it is adopted, it is the only or most common system of weights and measures (see metrication). It is now known as the International System of Units (SI). It is used to measure everyday things such as the mass of a sack of flour, the height of a person, the speed of a car, and the volume of fuel in its tank. It is also used in science, industry and trade. In its modern form, it consists of a set title: Metric system text: with the SI in matters of everyday life or units that are exactly defined values in terms of SI units and are used in particular circumstances to satisfy the needs of commercial, legal, or specialised scientific interests. These units include: Metric system The metric system is an internationally recognised decimalised system of measurement. It is in widespread use, and where it is adopted, it is the only or most common system of weights and measures (see metrication). It is now known as the International System of Units (SI). It is used to measure everyday things such as the mass of title: Metric system text: of base units including "metre" for length, "kilogram" for mass, "second" for time and "ampere" for electrical current, and a few others, which together with their derived units, can measure any physical quantity. "Metric system" may also refer to other systems of related base and derived units defined before the middle of the 20th century, some of which are still in limited use today. The metric system was designed to have properties that make it easy to use and widely applicable, including units based on the natural world, decimal ratios, prefixes for multiples and sub-multiples, and a structure of base title: Metric system text: base units representing seven fundamental dimensions of measure: length, mass, time, electromagnetism, thermodynamic temperature, luminous intensity, and quantity of substance. The units are: Together they are sufficient for measuring any known quantity, without reference to further quantities or phenomena. The metre, ampere, candela, and mole are all defined in terms of other base units. For example, the speed of light is defined as 299792458 metres per second, and the metre is derived from that constant and the definition of a second. As a result, in dimensional analysis, they remain wholly separate concepts. There are currently 22 derived units with special title: Introduction to the metric system text: Introduction to the metric system The metric system was developed during the French Revolution to replace the various measures previously used in France. The metre (sometimes spelled "meter" in American English) is the unit of length in the metric system and was originally based on the dimensions of the earth, as far as it could be measured at the time. The litre (also spelled "liter"), is the unit of volume and was defined as one thousandth of a cubic metre. The metric unit of mass is the kilogram and it was defined as the mass of one litre of water.