In our daily life, we sometimes measure lengths with non-standard physical length measuring units such as span and fathom, sometimes with non-standard measuring tools such as rope or pencil, which we know the measurement, and sometimes with standard length measuring units such as meter, centimeter, and kilometer.
Non-standard bodily length measurement tools are fingers, spans, fathoms, feet, and steps. Length measurements made with these measurement units may differ from person to person.
We can also measure lengths with non-standard objects such as rope, pens, and straws around us. There is a high probability of error in length measurements made with these measurement units.
Standard Units of Measure for Length
Measurements made with non-standard units of measurement do not always give accurate results. For this reason, we use length measurement units, which do not change from person to person. The most basic standard unit of measurement for length is the meter.
Engineers, tailors, carpenters, architects use the meter to measure. The length of 1 meter is equal all over the world.
We measure lengths shorter than meters in centimeters. The meter is denoted by “m” for short, and the centimeter by “cm” for short. 1 m equals 100 cm.
Usage Area Examples of Meter:
We use meters to measure:
- the size of the house,
- the height of trees,
- the perimeter of the gardens,
- the length of a football field, and
- the length of the school corridor.
Usage Area Examples of Centimeter:
We use centimeters to measure:
- the length of the pen,
- the length of the notebook,
- the size of our span,
- the TV screen, and
- the size of the glass in the window.
Kilometers
The kilometer is one of the units of measurement for a length greater than the meter. Kilometers are briefly indicated by the symbol “km”. A kilometer is 1000 times a meter.
Where Kilometers are Used in Daily Life:
- Distances between cities.
- The length of rivers.
- Interplanetary distances.
- The circumference of lakes, seas, and oceans.
- The lengths of oil pipelines.
- Road and railroad lengths.
Millimeters
We use the unit of measure “millimeter” when describing lengths that are too small to measure in centimeters. Millimeters are abbreviated as “mm”. A millimeter is one-tenth of a centimeter.
Usage Area Examples of Millimeter
We use millimeters to measure:
- the thickness of a glass,
- the length of a grain of rice,
- the length of a nail, and
- the length of a pin.
The order of length measurement units in terms of size is km > m > cm > mm.
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