How Can You Measure
Matter?
To measure matter, systems of
standard units have been
developed. A standard unit is a
unit of measure that people agree
to use, such as the inch, pound,
yard, and gallon. These are units
in the English system, which is
mostly used in the United States.
Most other countries and all scientists
use standard units in the metric system.
The metric system is based on units of 10.
For example, 1 meter (m) is divided into
100 centimeters (cm). A meter is a bit
longer than a yard. One centimeter is
about the width of your little finger’s nail.
The table on the next page shows you
how different units in the metric system
compare to one another.
Comparing Metric Units
Metric Unit
Equal To
1 centimeter
1/100 meter
1 decimeter
10 centimeters
1 meter
1 decameter
10 decimeters or 100
centimeters
10 meters
1 hectometer
100 meters
1 kilometer
1,000 meters
Matter can be
described by certain
measurements. They
include length, area,
and volume.
Length tells you the number
of units that fit along one edge
on an object. In the metric
system, units of length are
based on the meter. Lengths
in the English system are
based on the yard. One yard
equals 36 inches, or 3 feet.
Which units you use depends
on what you are measuring.
You wouldn’t measure the
length of a butterfly wing in
meters. You wouldn’t measure
the floor of your room in
inches.
Some Examples of Lengths
Matter
Length
Fourth grader
54 inches
Python snake
31 feet
Football field
100 yards
Butterfly wing
21½ centimeters
Giant squid
17 meters
Blue whale
30 meters
Cleveland to Miami
1,710 kilometers
Area (AYR·ee·uh) is a
measurement that describes the
number of unit squares that cover
a surface. Area is measured in
units such as square centimeters
or square inches. An easy way to
find the area of a rectangular
object is to multiply its length by
its width.
How can you find the area of
an irregular shape? First,
divide it into smaller shapes.
Then, find the area of each
shape. You might need to
estimate the parts of shapes.
Add the area of each shape to
find the total area.
Volume (VAHL·yewm) describes
how much space an object takes
up. It measures the number of
cubes that can fit in an object.
Solids are measured in units such
as cubic centimeters or cubic
inches. To find the volume of a
solid rectangle, multiply its length
by its width and its height.
You can also measure the
volume of a liquid. In the metric
system, it is measured in units
called liters (L). One liter is made
up of 1,000 milliliters (mL). One
mL of a liquid takes up the same
amount of space as a 1-cm cube.
You can use water to measure
the volume of a solid. First,
measure some water. Then,
completely submerge the object.
Subtract the original water level
from the new water level. The
water level rises by the exact
volume of the object.
Use Water to Measure the Volume of
an Irregularly Shaped Solid
• How can you use a
graduated cylinder
and water to
measure the
volume of a rock?
What are three measurements
of matter you can make?
• Answer the question…
– With a partner
– In your Learning Notebook
Using Graphic Sources
• How many centimeters are in one meter?
• How many meters are in one decameter?
• How many meters would it take to equal
one hectometer?
• How long is a giant squid?
• Which is longer – a python snake or a
football field?
• By how many feet?
length
• The number of
units that fit
along one edge
of an object.
Back to text
area
• The number
of unit
squares that
fit inside a
surface.
Back to text
volume
• The amount of
space an
object takes
up.
Back to text