Measuring Lengths (Nonstandard & Standard Units) — Answer Key
Part A: Multiple Choice
Circle the best answer for each question.
1. Jenna got 8 clips. Ben got 6 cubes for the same shoe. Why?
A) Ben measured wrong
B) Cubes are bigger than clips
C) The shoe grew
D) Clips are bigger
Fewer cubes were needed because each cube is larger than each clip, so a bigger unit always means a smaller count.
2. A table is 4 rulers long. Each ruler is 12 inches. How many inches?
A) 24
B) 36
C) 48
D) 16
Add 12 inches four times: 12 + 12 + 12 + 12 = 48 inches across the whole table.
3. Which object is closest to 1 inch long?
A) A school bus
B) A paper clip
C) A basketball court
D) A door
A standard paper clip measures about an inch from end to end, which is close to one inch on a ruler.
4. Lily says 5 cubes. Tom says 5 clips. Can both be right?
A) Yes always
B) No, units are different sizes
C) Yes if book is small
D) No, cubes cannot measure
Five cubes and five clips cover different distances because the units have different sizes, so the lengths cannot both be the same.
Part B: Fill in the Blank
Write the correct answer on each line.
1. Big units need fewer of them than small units.
Larger units take up more space each, so it takes fewer of them to reach across the same object.
2. A jump rope is 3 feet long, which equals 36 inches.
Each foot equals 12 inches, so 3 feet means 12 + 12 + 12 = 36 inches all together.
3. Different units can give different numbers for the same object.
Switching between cubes, clips, or inches changes how many you count, even when the object's actual length stays the same.
4. A desk is 24 inches long, which is 2 feet.
Since 12 inches make 1 foot, divide 24 by 12 to find that 24 inches equals 2 feet.
5. Place units with no gaps and no overlaps.
Overlapping units would cover the same space twice and make the count too small, so units should touch but never stack on each other.