Choose a sensible unit or estimate
Name: _____________________ Date: __________
Show your thinking with numbers, words, or a drawing.
1. Which unit would you use to measure the capacity of a drink bottle: grams, millilitres, centimetres or litres?
2. Which unit would you use to measure the length of a classroom door (its height): metres, kilometres, millimetres or kilograms?
3. Which unit would you use to measure the length of a football field: kilometres, metres, kilograms or millimetres?
4. Which unit would you use to measure the capacity of a bucket: litres, millilitres, kilograms or metres?
5. Which unit would you use to measure the mass of a watermelon: kilograms, metres, litres or grams?
Answer key ยท Choose a sensible unit or estimate
1. millilitres
Capacity is how much something holds, measured in millilitres or litres.
A drink bottle is about 600 mL, so the capacity is a sensible number of millilitres.
Use millilitres.
2. metres
Length is how long something is, measured in millimetres, centimetres, metres or kilometres.
A classroom door (its height) is about 2 m, so the length is a sensible number of metres.
Use metres.
3. metres
Length is how long something is, measured in millimetres, centimetres, metres or kilometres.
A football field is about 100 m, so the length is a sensible number of metres.
Use metres.
4. litres
Capacity is how much something holds, measured in millilitres or litres.
A bucket is about 10 L, so the capacity is a sensible number of litres.
Use litres.
5. kilograms
Mass is how heavy something is, measured in grams or kilograms.
A watermelon is about 5 kg, so the mass is a sensible number of kilograms.
Use kilograms.
Try it together
Choose three objects at home. Estimate their measurements, then check together and explain the differences.