Units of measurement
Inches, grams, liters, miles! These are examples of UNITS OF MEASUREMENT. In our lives, we use different UNITS depending on what is being measured. For example, when measuring the length of a desk you would mostly likely meausure the LENGTH in inches. When measuring the WEIGHT of a puppy, you might use pounds. And, when measuring the CAPACITY of a glass of milk, you would probably use cups.
In life, we measure:
LENGTH WEIGHT CAPACITY
(or distance) (or mass) (or volume)
Below you will learn about the different units used to measure length, weight, and capacity in both CUSTOMARY and METRIC. CUSTOMARY units are the types of measurements mainly used only in the United States. The METRIC system is used everywhere else around the world.
In life, we measure:
LENGTH WEIGHT CAPACITY
(or distance) (or mass) (or volume)
Below you will learn about the different units used to measure length, weight, and capacity in both CUSTOMARY and METRIC. CUSTOMARY units are the types of measurements mainly used only in the United States. The METRIC system is used everywhere else around the world.
Customary (or standard) units
LENGTHYou already know that 1 inch is about the same size as the length of a quarter. A sheet of paper is almost the size of a foot. And, 1 yard is about equal to the length of a baseball bat. Below shows how the customary units of length relate to one another:
1 foot = 12 inches
1 yard = 3 feet 1 yard = 36 inches 1 mile = 1,760 yards 1 mile = 5, 280 feet |
WeightWhen you weigh yourself on a scale, you will most likely see your weight in pounds. Lighter objects, like a a key, are weighed in ounces (oz.). Pounds (abbreviated lb. or lbs.) are used to measure the weight of heavy objects like a couch or people. REALLY heavy objects are measured in tons.
1 pound = 16 ounces 1 ton = 2,000 pounds |
CapacityDon't forget to buy a gallon of juice at the store! We are familiar with the size of gallons from buying juice or milk at the store. Smaller customary units of capacity include cups, pints, and quarts. Notice how these units relate to each other:
1 pint = 2 cups 1 quart = 2 pints 1 gallon = 4 quarts |
METRIC (or decimal) system
LENGTHTake a look at the width of your thumbnail. This is about the length of one centimeter! A meter is almost the same size as a yard. A kilometer is a much longer unit of measurement. Millimeters (mm), Centimeters (cm), meters (m), and kilometers (km) are three metric units of length.
1 cm = 10 mm 1 meter = 100 cm 1 kilometer = 1,000 m |
WeightGrams (g) and kilograms (kg) are metric units used to measure weight. Grams are used to weigh light objects. In fact, one paper clip is about one gram. On the other hand, kilograms weigh heavier objects like you and me!
1 kilogram = 1,000 grams |
CapacityWe measure liquids with different metric units of capacity too. Think about going to the store and buying a 2 liter of pop. Liters (L) are a metric unit of capacity. Liters are much larger than milliliters (mL). One milliliter is about the size of a drop of water.
1 liter = 1,000 milliliters |
Watch the video below which explores both the CUSTOMARY and METRIC systems of measurement!
Practice makes perfect!
Matching Math - Match the right customary unit of measurement
IXL: Choose the appropriate Metric Unit
IXL: Choose the appropriate Metric Unit