Measuring Length — Answer Key
Part A: Sort the Words
Sort each word or number into the correct category box.
1. Sort each item into the correct measurement unit group.
Measure in Inches or Centimeters
staplerspoonkey Measure in Feet or Meters
playgroundsoccer fielddriveway Small everyday items like a stapler, spoon, and key are just a few inches long, so we use inches or centimeters for them. A playground, soccer field, and driveway are much larger, so we use bigger units like feet or meters.
Part B: Fill in the Blank
Write the missing word or number on each line.
1. A tape measure is useful for measuring things that are long.
A tape measure is flexible and can stretch many feet, so it works best for long things like rooms, fences, or furniture.
2. A fork is about 7 inches long.
A fork is a small eating tool, so its length is best measured in inches. Seven inches is a little more than half a foot, which matches the size of a regular fork.
3. When you measure, always start at the zero on the ruler.
You must line up the end of the object with the zero mark on the ruler. If you start at one instead, your measurement will be off by one unit.
4. A yardstick is 3 feet long.
A yardstick measures one yard, and one yard equals three feet. That is why a yardstick is 3 feet long and the same as 36 inches.
5. An ant is about 1 centimeter long.
An ant is tiny, so we use a very small metric unit. A centimeter is about the width of a fingernail, which matches the size of an ant.
Part C: True or False?
Read each statement. Circle True or False.
1. A yardstick is 36 inches long.
True False
True. A yardstick is 3 feet long, and since each foot has 12 inches, 3 times 12 equals 36 inches.
2. You should measure a football field in centimeters.
True False
False. A football field is 100 yards long, so counting that many centimeters would take forever. Big places are measured in yards, feet, or meters instead.
3. A tape measure can bend around curved objects.
True False
True. A tape measure is made of flexible material, so it can wrap around round things like your wrist, a pumpkin, or a tree trunk. A straight ruler cannot do that.
4. An inch is longer than a foot.
True False
False. It is actually the opposite. One foot equals 12 inches, which means a foot is much longer than just a single inch.