Measurement
Goal 2: Length
2.01: Estimate the measure of an
object in one system given the measure
of that object in another system.
Check What You Know
Choose the tool you would use to measure each.
Customary Units and Tools
1. The length of the
whiteboard
2. The amount of flour
needed to make a cake
3. The weight of a stapler
Choose the unit you would use to measure each.
4. length of your foot- inches or yards
5. weight of a truck- pounds or tons
6. water in a pool- quarts or gallons
Metric Units and Tools
Choose the unit you would use to measure each.
1. The temperature
outside
2. The mass of a bracelet
3. The distance across the
room
Choose the unit you would use to measure each.
4. distance run in a race- centimeters or kilometers
5. mass of a big dog- grams or kilograms
6. large bottle of soda- liters or millliters
Vocabulary Power
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A unit is a quantity used as a measure
Customary units are used in the USA
Metric units are used all over the world.
Standard units include both customary and
metric units
• Nonstandard units are……..( You need to define)
• The precision of a measurement is related to the
unit of measure you choose. The smaller the
unit, the more precise the measurement will be.
Customary Length
• Length- the longest extent of anything as
measured from end to end.
Customary Units of Length
12 inches (in.) = 1 foot (ft)
3 feet= 1 yard (yd)
5,280 feet= 1 mile (mi)
1,760 yards= 1 mile
Can you create a saying to help us remember these figures?
Nonstandard units of length
Thinking OUTSIDE the box:
Why doesn’t everyone have the same answers?
Are you correct and your classmates wrong?
Defend your answer
Explain what you know about a ruler.
Be sure to include:
• What is it?
• What does it measure?
• What do all those marks mean?
• When do you use it ?
How to Use a Ruler
• Place the end of the ruler to the end of your
object to be measured. * Be sure to check where
your ruler begins.
• Most rulers have 16 marks.
• Use your knowledge of equivalent fractions to
complete the chart.
1/16
1/8
1/4
1/2
1/16
2/16
4/16
8/16
12/16
16/16
http://www.rickyspears.com/rulergame/
Using a Ruler
Use a Ruler to measure the following items and
record your data:
• A brand new crayon
• Your pencil
• A large paper clip
• The width of a piece of notebook paper
• The length of your desk
• The width of your shoe
• The length of your index finger
Be sure to give a precision measurement 
Estimation/Guessamation
• When determining length we often use
estimation.
• Use your reasoning skills to determine the
length of the following and then measure the
actual (precision) measurement:
an marker
paper clip
pencil
an object of your choice
Linking up to Science
Echoes can be used to measure distance. Weather forecasters send a sound
waves toward weather system such as tornadoes or hurricanes. They time
how long it takes the waves to reach a system, “bounce off” it and return.
This method of measuring distances is called sonar.
Solve.
1. A ship was in a heavy fog. The navigator
knew there was an iceberg nearby, and
sounded a horn. Four seconds later he
heard an echo returning from the iceberg.
Sound travels about 1,100 feet per second
in the air. About how far was the iceberg
from the ship?
2. Sound travels about 1 mile per second in
water. Suppose a ship’s sonar emits a
loud sound under the water. Four miles
away there is a submarine. How long will it
be before the echo reaches the ship?
3. Write a problem using echoes to measure
distances. Have a classmate solve your
problem.
Metric Length
10 millimeters (mm) = 1 centimeter (cm)
100 centimeters = 1 meter (m)
1,000 meters = 1 kilometer (km)
Use the bicycle to help your remember the
Metric length terms:
• A millimeter (mm) is about the thickness of a
spoke on a bicycle wheel.
•A centimeter (cm) is about the thickness of a
bicycle pedal.
•A meter (m) is about the height of a bicycle.
•A kilometer (km) is how far you can ride a
bicycle in a few minutes.
Estimate, Measure and Record
Estimate and measure each using the Metric
units. Record your data in a table.
• The length of your desk
• The distance from your desk to the door
• Your height
• Thickness of your Math book
• Width of your pencil
Making Connections
You can find the length or height of something that you can
not reach by making connections.
Find the height of this building.
•The height of one floor is 14.5 meters.
•Determine how many floors this building has.
•Multiply the numbers of floors by the height of
one floor to determine the height of this building.
What if:
The height of one floor of this building were
12.25 meters?
Explain how to find the height of the building.
Find the Measurement using
Metric Units:
1. The length of a road 12 blocks long if 1 block
is 0.125 km long
2. The height of a building 12 stories high if 1
story is 13 m long
3. The length of a floor 92 tiles long if 1 tile is 30
cm long.
Change Linear Units
To change from small units into Large units: Divide
To change from Large units into smaller units: Multiply
Change the Units:
1. 2 ft = ___ in
5. 60 in = __ ft
2. 5m = ___ cm
6. 2 km = __ m
3. 5 yd = ___ ft
7. 24 ft = __ yd
4. 20 mm = __ cm
8. 9,400 m = __ km
Yes, you can use a calculator 
Do you Agree? Explain.
1. Anne says 0.2 cm is the same as 2 mm.
2. Joel says that 40 cm is the same as 0.4 m.
3. Jason has 14 yd of string. He used 5 yd 8 in
for his project. He claims that he has 8 yd
2 in left.
4. Grace has 13 ft of fabric. She only needs 4 ¼
yds. She thinks she has enough fabric.
Problem Solving/ Relating Systems
One yard is slightly shorter than 1 meter
One mile is slightly longer than 1.5 kilometers.
One gallon is about 3.75 liters.
One pound is about 0.5 kilogram.
Use the chart above to solve the following problems:
1. If a kilometer is about 6 city blocks long, about how many city blocks long is one
mile?
2. A football field is 120 yards long, including the end zones. Is a football field
shorter or longer than 120 meters?
3. Marly’s is running in two 5K races this month. She is running in a 10K race next
month. Will Marly’s run more or less than 10 miles in all?
4. Carmen’s poodle, Tinkerbell weighs 8 kilograms. Does Tinkerbell weigh more
than 10 pounds?
Getting Ready for the EOG
Tiffany is installing new molding in her house.
The table shows the amounts of molding she
needs for some rooms.
Rooms
Perimeter
Bedroom
44 feet 6 inches
Living Room
14 yards
Den
31 feet 8 inches
1. How much molding does she
need for the bedroom and
living room?
2. How much more molding does
Tiffany need for the bedroom
than for the den?
A.
B.
C.
D.
A.
B.
C.
D.
58 feet 6 inches
58 yards 6 inches
76 feet 2 inches
86 feet 6 inches
13 feet 8 inches
13 feet 2 inches
12 feet 10 inches
12 feet 8 inches