Page 154 - Active Science 5 Ebook and Activity

3. The salesman is measuring the _____________ of petrol. (length/capacity)

4. The doctor is measuring the _____________ of the patient. (temperature/weight)

5. The boy is measuring an _____________ in his wrist watch. (length/time)

What is Measurement?
To find the length, width, height, time, area, volume, etc., of things is known as

measurement.

H istory of Measurement

In earlier days, people used their body
parts, such as cubit (approximately equal
to 20 inches or 50 centimetres), handspan,

pace and foot as measuring devices. Mass,
time, temperature, capacity were measured
by natural objects.
Hand Span 1 Foot

Activity 14.1

Compare your hand span and thumb size with your friend’s and parents’ and find out whether
yours is bigger, smaller or the same.

Fill the table with your observations.

You Hand span Pace Thumb Cubit

Your friend

Your parents

From the above activity, you will find that size of body parts is not same and hence,
measurements taken using them will be different. The reason is clear that the size of
body parts varies from person to person. This does not give accurate results.

Scientists made up their mind to prepare Factual Study
a standard measuring unit which might

be accepted throughout the world. This In United States, people do not
use inches, feet, yards or miles for
led to determine a unit (fixed standard) measurement. They use the customary
for measurement. Fixed units are now units of measurement. They use ounces
available for measurement of area, and pounds for measuring weight.
temperature, volume, time, length, width Volume is measured in cups, pints,
and capacity and mass. quarts and gallons.

154 Active Science-5