Level 3

Appropriate Units

Lesson

We use many different units of measurement and they tell us what it is that we are measuring. Here are some of the common units of measurement that are used.

Units of Measurement!

Length: mm, cm, m and km

Area: mm², cm², m² and km²

Volume: mm³, cm³, m³ and km³

Capacity: mL, L, kL, ML

Mass: mg, g, kg, tonne

Sometimes we need to determine what is the most appropriate unit for measuring a particular item so that we do not end up with unreasonably large or small numbers.

Have a look at this video to learn how to choose the most appropriate units of measurement.

Worked Examples

Question 1

Choose the most appropriate unit of measure for the mass of a biscuit.

Grams
A
Kilograms
B
Tonnes
C

Question 2

It is most appropriate to use centimetres to measure:

Australia's Coastline
A
a dog
B
a running track
C
a pencil
D

Question 3

It is most appropriate to use cubic metres ($m^3$m3) to measure:

a jug
A
a swimming pool
B
a salad bowl
C
a shoe
D

Outcomes

GM3-1

Use linear scales and whole numbers of metric units for length, area, volume and capacity, weight (mass), angle, temperature, and time