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Year 6 Science — Measuring length

Say why standard units are needed, convert between kilometre, metre, centimetre and millimetre, and read a scale the right way.

Name: ________________________

Before you start

Slide along this 15-centimetre scale. Between each pair of big marks there is 1 cm, and each of those is cut into 10 parts of 1 mm.

0123456789101112131415

The smallest length this scale can measure is 1 mm, which is one-tenth of one of these steps.

  1. 1.A 15-cm scale is drawn out below. Which mark sits at 7 cm?

    Mark the line with an X.

    0123456789101112131415

  2. 2.A road is 7 km long. How many metres is that? Answer with a number.

  3. 3.You want to measure the girth of a tree trunk. Which is the right instrument?

    • a) A 15-cm plastic scale
    • b) A pair of dividers
    • c) A flexible measuring tape
    • d) A rigid metre scale

  4. 4.Sort each unit by whether it is a standard unit or one taken from the body.

    Groups: Standard unit · Unit taken from the body

    • Centimetre
    • Handspan
    • Kilometre
    • Angula
    • Metre

  5. 5.Match each unit to the kind of length it suits.

    • Kilometre
    • Centimetre
    • Millimetre
    • large distances such as a railway track between two cities
    • everyday objects such as the length of a pencil
    • very small lengths such as the thickness of a page

  6. 6.A stick is laid against a broken scale. One end reads 3.0 cm and the other reads 14.0 cm. How long is the stick, in centimetres?

    • a) 14.0
    • b) 11.0
    • c) 17.0
    • d) 3.0

  7. 7.Which of these is written correctly, following the chapter's rule for unit symbols?

    • a) 15 cms
    • b) 15 cm.
    • c) 15 cm
    • d) 15 Cm

  8. 8.Put the steps for measuring a curved line with a thread back into order.

    • Lay a thread along the curved line
    • Straighten the thread out
    • Mark where the curve begins and ends on the thread
    • Measure the thread against a metre scale

Answer key — Year 6 Science — Measuring length

  1. 1. 7
  2. 2. 7000
  3. 3. c) A flexible measuring tape
  4. 4. Centimetre → Standard unit; Kilometre → Standard unit; Metre → Standard unit; Handspan → Unit taken from the body; Angula → Unit taken from the body
  5. 5. Kilometre → large distances such as a railway track between two cities; Centimetre → everyday objects such as the length of a pencil; Millimetre → very small lengths such as the thickness of a page
  6. 6. b) 11.0
  7. 7. c) 15 cm
  8. 8. 1. Lay a thread along the curved line 2. Mark where the curve begins and ends on the thread 3. Straighten the thread out 4. Measure the thread against a metre scale