How Do You Measure Length

Measurement of Length

The distance of something from one end to the other is called length. It can be measured using a ruler, a measuring tape, a metre rod, and so on, whichever is convenient for the required purpose.
While measuring length using a ruler, we should take the following precautions:

1. Care should be taken to keep the ruler along the length of the object.
2. If the edge of the ruler is worn out or broken, the measurement should be started from any fully clear. For example, if you measure from 2 cm mark to the 7 cm mark, the length is 5 cm (7 cm – 2 cm = 5 cm).
3. Eyes should be exactly above the point where the measurement is to be taken. If your eyes are at different positions, you might get wrong readings.

Using a Divider to Measure Length
A divider is used to measure the distance between two points. Let us see how.

Measuring the Length of a Curved Line
The length of a curved line can be measured using a string. The string is placed along the curved line and its ends are marked on the string.
The length of the string between the marked points is measured with a ruler

Activity

Aim: To find the length of a curved line.
Materials needed: A ruler, a measuring tape, a string, a sketch pen and a leaf.
Method:

1. Draw a curved line on a piece of paper.
2. Place the string along the curved line. Make sure the string covers every bit of the curved line.
3. Mark the points where the curved line begins and ends on the string.
4. Now stretch out the string along the length of a ruler (or a stretched out measuring tape, if the curved line is long) and measure the distance between the two marks on the string.
5. Try out different curved lines, like the outline of a leaf or even your waist (for this you can use the measuring tape directly).