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Chapter 5: Far and Near

How long is your pencil? How tall is your father? How far away is the moon? Some things are tiny, some are huge, and we use different units for each. A pencil in centimetres. A person in metres. A trip in kilometres.

In this chapter we learn how to pick the right unit, how to convert from one unit to another, and how to estimate without a ruler in hand. By the end of the chapter, you will be a length detective.

What's inside

  • Length units: millimetre (mm), centimetre (cm), metre (m), kilometre (km).
  • Converting from one unit to another.
  • Adding and subtracting lengths in mixed units.
  • Estimating lengths without measuring.

How to read this chapter

Read the pages in order. Keep a ruler and a measuring tape (if you have one) by your side. The hands-on tasks need real measuring , that is the point. The skill is to see lengths the way a tailor or carpenter does.

Sub-topics

3 pages
01
Units of length
Millimetres, centimetres, metres and kilometres , picking the right tool for the job.
02
Adding and subtracting lengths
Adding and subtracting lengths when units are mixed.
03
Estimating lengths
Guessing lengths without a ruler , using body parts and reference objects.

Practice quiz

Answer the questions; explanations appear after each.

Quiz
Chapter 5 : Mixed practice
8 questions · pick the best answer
Q1

1 km equals how many metres?

Q2

1 m equals how many cm?

Q3

Convert 2.5 km to metres.

Q4

75 cm + 1 m 25 cm = ?

Q5

Which is longest?

Q6

A pencil is roughly:

Q7

If 1 m = 100 cm, then 350 cm = ?

Q8

Walking from home to school is 850 m one way. Round trip distance?