Measuring and converting units

For grown-ups: this lesson in words

Years 3 to 6 · Maths

Measuring and converting units: I can read a scale, choose a unit and change between units of measure.

1. A ruler measures length. This one is marked in centimetres, cm.

   Line the end of the pencil up with 0, then read the number it reaches.

   The pencil reaches 12. It is 12 cm long.

   Picture: A ruler from 0 to 15 centimetres, labelled every 1, with a mark at every label. The pencil reaches the 12 label.

2. A measuring jug measures capacity, how much liquid it holds, in millilitres, ml.

   The labels go up in 200s: 0, 200, 400, 600, 800, 1000. Each small mark between them is 100 ml.

   The water is 1 mark above 600, so there is 700 ml of water.

   Picture: A measuring jug from 0 to 1,000 millilitres, labelled every 200, with 1 small mark between the labels. It shows 700 millilitres.

3. Your turn: Here is an orange on a weighing scale marked in grams. How many grams does the orange weigh?

   Picture: A weighing scale from 0 to 500 grams, labelled every 100, with 1 small mark between the labels. With the orange on it, the pointer is at the 200 label.

   Type a number (g).

   Answer

   The answer: 200 g

   The pointer is at the 200 label. The orange weighs 200 g.

   Picture: A weighing scale from 0 to 500 grams, labelled every 100, with 1 small mark between the labels. It shows 200 grams.

Words to know

unit:

What we measure in, such as centimetres, grams or litres.

convert:

Change a measure into a different unit, such as 2 km into 2000 m.

mass:

How heavy something is. We measure it in grams or kilograms.

capacity:

How much a container holds. We measure it in millilitres or litres.

imperial units:

Older units such as inches, pounds and pints.