OpenOlympiad
Concept 5 of 8Foundation
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Measuring length correctly

Rules for a good measurement:

  1. Put the ruler tightly along the edge of the object.
  2. Start from the 0 mark. If 0 is damaged, start from any whole number and subtract.
  3. Look straight down at the mark — not from an angle (avoid parallax error).
  4. Record with units (cm or mm).

For curved lines (road on a map): lay a thread along the curve, then straighten and measure the thread.

Example
Measuring a pencil with ruler broken at 0: align at 2 cm, tip at 15.4 cm → length = 15.4 – 2 = 13.4 cm.
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💡 Tip:Parallax = reading shifts when seen from different angles. Always view perpendicular.
Prefer a video? Open YouTube search for “how to measure length correctly class 6

🎯 Try it!

5 questions to check what you just read.

0 / 5
  1. Q1.Parallax error occurs when:
  2. Q2.Pencil tip at 15.4 cm, other end at 2 cm mark. Length:
  3. Q3.Best way to measure a curved road on a map:
  4. Q4.When reading a ruler, look:
  5. Q5.If a ruler's 0 mark is worn, you can: