Measuring Length: A History

Length and distance​

• ​Distance is the measure of how far or long something is. E.g.: the length of a table, or a soccer field or, how far is Mumbai from Delhi?

• Length can be measured in terms of a unit. A unit is a comparison of an unknown quantity with that of a known quantity. It is required to establish a common standard or convention in order to make calculations and analysis easier worldwide.

​​Traditional ways of measuring lengths

• Traditional methods of measuring length were the use of the length one’s foot or other body parts. But, was inconsistent since this varies from person to person and lacks uniformity.

​Standard Units

​Standardising length measurement

• ​Scientists from all over the world have accepted a common standard units of measurement.

• The International System of Units (S.I unit) was set up as the convention for measurement worldwide.

• A metre is the SI unit of length. It has 100 equal divisions called as centimetres.

• To measure large distances we use kilometres. 1 Km = 1000 metres

​Zero error and Correct way to measure length

​Scale must be in contact with the object being measured.

• If scales are broken or the zero mark is not visible, it can lead to a zero error. Then measuring from a different mark must be carried out.

• The correct reading will be obtained by subtracting the value from the full mark considered as the zero.

• While measuring the eye must be exactly above the point where the measurement is to be taken, in order to avoid parallax errors.

​Errors in Measurements: The Basics

Parallax

​Parallax is the displacement or the change in the apparent position of the object when viewed from two different points of views. This type of error while measuring is called as parallax error.

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How to Measure a Curved Line

​Length of a curved line

• Curved lengths cannot be measured using metre scales.

• A string or a thread can be used to measure curved lines by creating a knot at one end and keeping that at the beginning, one can trace the curved line.

• Then this length can be stretched out and measured with the help of a metre scale.

• A measuring tape can be used to find lengths of curved objects. E.g. girth of a tree trunk, or length of a snake.

​​https://youtu.be/-0p2RD0VnR0