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Units for Measuring Length - Cycle 1
| Mathematics
What objects can be used to measure lengths?
Any object can be used to measure a distance. For example, paper clips, books, tissue boxes, etc. can all be used as tools for measuring.
This book measures 5 paper clips long:
Read the concept sheet Measuring Lengths to learn how to measure lengths with objects.
Look at the length of what needs to be measured to choose an object for measuring a distance. Generally, the longer the length, the larger the object needed for measuring.
It is a better choice to measure the width of a desk using a pencil instead of paper clips since a huge number of paper clips would be needed!
What units are used to measure distances?
The metre (m) is the basic unit of measurement. It can be broken down into parts to get units like decimetres (dm) or centimetres (cm).
The width of a door is approximately 1 metre.
The length of a spoon handle is about 1 decimetre.
The side of a die is about 1 centimetre.
Observe the length of what needs to be measured to choose which unit of measurement to use. Generally, longer distances require larger units of measurement.
- The width of a classroom is measured in metres.
- The height of a desk is measured in decimetres.
- The length of a pencil is measured in centimetres.