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Measuring The Length and Area

1. The document discusses measuring length and area. The SI unit for length is the meter (m) and smaller units like centimeters (cm) and millimeters (mm) are used. Rulers and tape measures are common tools for measuring length. 2. The SI unit for area is the square meter (m2) but this document will use square centimeters (cm2). The area of regular shapes can be calculated using formulas like length x width for rectangles. Irregular shapes can be measured by placing the shape on grid paper and counting full and partial squares. 3. An example is given for finding the approximate area of a leaf by placing it on graph paper and counting full and partial squares inside the outline

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Suresh Senanayake
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75 views1 page

Measuring The Length and Area

1. The document discusses measuring length and area. The SI unit for length is the meter (m) and smaller units like centimeters (cm) and millimeters (mm) are used. Rulers and tape measures are common tools for measuring length. 2. The SI unit for area is the square meter (m2) but this document will use square centimeters (cm2). The area of regular shapes can be calculated using formulas like length x width for rectangles. Irregular shapes can be measured by placing the shape on grid paper and counting full and partial squares. 3. An example is given for finding the approximate area of a leaf by placing it on graph paper and counting full and partial squares inside the outline

Uploaded by

Suresh Senanayake
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOC, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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1.

4 MEASURING LENGTH AND AREA

Nearly all measurements need units. In science, we use the International System of Units, which
is called SI for short. Look at the table in Appendix A which shows all the units used in this book.

Length. The SI unit for length is the metre, symbol m. When we 1 mm = 0.1 cm
need smaller units we use centimetres (cm) or millimetres (mm). The
simplest instruments for measuring length are the ruler and the tape 1 cm = 0.01 m
measure. 10 mm = 1 cm
100 cm = 1 m
diameter of coin
18 mm (1.8 cm) Converting units of length

Some lengths to measure

Give all answers in (i) mm and (ii) cm.

Check your answers with your classmates. Keep


trying until you all agree.
Hints for measuring length accurately
1. Measure the sides of the box around this text.
1. If the end of the ruler is worn or damaged,
start at the 1 cm mark (and subtract 1 cm later!).
2. Measure the diameter of a small coin. (Hint:
2. If possible, use the ruler on its edge, so the Look at the diagram above).
marks are actually touching what you are
measuring. 3. Measure the circumference of the same coin.
(Hint: Wrap a piece of thread or a strip of paper
3. If you can not use the ruler on its edge, make around the circumference).
sure you are looking from straight above (i) when
you line up the zero or 1 cm mark, and (ii) when 4. Measure the thickness of one page of this
you read the length. book in mm only. (Hint: Measure the thickness of
50 pages, then ...........).

Area. Area tells us how much surface Finding the area of a regular shape
something covers. The SI unit for area is a
square metre, symbol m2. In this book we will To find the area of a regular shape we just have
usually use square centimetres (cm2). to measure some lengths and calculate. Find
cm2 The little square on the left has an area the area of this box by measuring its length and
of 1 cm2. One m2 contains 10 000 cm2. breadth.
The areas of regular shapes can easily be
calculated. The box on the right shows you Area of rectangle = length breadth
how. But how can we measure the area of a Area of triangle = base height
surface that does not have a regular shape, for Area of circle = (radius)2
example a leaf? One way to find the
approximate area is to place the shape on a piece of cm2 graph paper and draw carefully around
it. Count all complete cm2 inside the outline.
Add one for each incomplete cm2 if at least
half of it is inside the shape. Ignore any cm2 if
more than half of it is outside the shape. Use
this method to check the approximate area of
the leaf drawn on the right.

The area of this leaf is approximately 27


cm2

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