Technology can measure — Technology, 4–6 years
Measuring tools turn length, time, weight or temperature into information that people can compare.
What measuring means
To measure is to find out how much of something there is by comparing it with an agreed unit. A ruler uses centimetres for length, a clock uses minutes for time, and a scale uses grams or kilograms for mass. The number makes a comparison clearer.
Why use measurements?
Words such as big, warm or soon can mean different things to different people. Measurements give people a shared way to describe and compare, so they can cut, cook, build or meet at the right time. This problem led people to make rulers, clocks, scales and thermometers.
Measuring a pencil
Place one end of a pencil exactly at the zero mark on a ruler. Look at the other end: suppose it reaches the line marked 8 centimetres. The pencil is 8 centimetres long. If it starts at 1 instead, count from 1 to 8: its length is 7 centimetres.
The ruler must start at zero
A common mistake is to put the object at the ruler’s edge and read the number at its end. The edge may not be the zero mark, so that number can be too large. This is reasonable because the ruler looks as if its plastic edge is the beginning of the scale.
Measurements in daily life
A recipe uses measurements so there is enough flour or water. A clock helps people know when to leave, eat or sleep. A shop scale tells how much fruit is being bought, while a thermometer tells whether something is hot or cold. These tools turn guesses into useful information.
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