Basic Concepts of Measurement
A shape is the form of an object or its external boundary, outline, or
external surface, as opposed to other properties such as color, texture, or
material composition.
Types of Shapes
Triangle - have all angles equal to 60°, and all sides equal
length.
Square - have 4 equal sides and 4 right angles.
Rectangle - have 4 sides and 4 right angles.
Diamond - a parallelogram with opposite equal acute
angles, opposite equal obtuse angles, and four equal
sides.
Circle - Consisting of only one curved line, this shape
does not have any other joining point or apex. The
distance from the epicenter to the circumference is
equal throughout all the sectors.
Hexagon - It consists of six equal sides, and sum of the
angles is equal to 720 degrees. Six lines of symmetry are
present.
Oval / Ellipse- It is similar to the circle, but the
distance from the center to the circumference
varies constantly. Thus, this shape has two axes:
major and minor, along with an elongated shape.
Measuring tool - is anything used to take a count of quantitative data,
such as weight, length, time or temperature
About Measuring Tool
Measurement can be done from almost any physical activity or material.
There are several different types of measurements that can be taken
and several different measuring instruments exist to be used for taking
measurement.
Measurement is done in physical sciences, quality assurance and
engineering work, to attain numerical values which can later be used
in various activities for several different purposes such as comparing or
evaluating.
Units - used for measuring are amongst the earliest tools that were
invented by humans. units are values given to measurements that
make them usable across the world
Societies in the past required some sort of measurement tools which
could be used for several tasks such as constructing etc, and an
example of such units which are still being used today can be feet which
measures length.
The world uses standard units such as centimeters, meters or
kilometers (in the context of measuring distance) or others for the
various types of measurements.
Several types of measuring instruments are available for
measurement, such as ruler and stop watches that measure length
and time respectively, to more complex devices such as electron
microscopes and particle accelerators.
Measuring Types
Distance and Length
As distance can be measured in inches, feet, miles centimeters, meters
kilometers etc, one should first determine which of these units he
requires before selecting the right measurement tool. If measurements
are on a small scale, for example the length of a photo frame, a regular
ruler could do the job. However, if measurements are on a bigger scale,
for example measuring the width of a room, measuring tape instead of
a ruler is more ideal as the former can be more convenient to use and
can provide accurate results.
Weight /Mass
Mass can be measured using several types of scales that cater to the
size of the object.
Scientists in laboratories often have to measure small amounts of
mass, and thus use a triple-balance beam which can measure small
masses very accurately.
Measuring mass was done through scales such as balance pan scales
or spring scales, from which the reading had to be noted manually.
Digital scales are used in most parts of the world. These scales simply
require the user to place the object on a pan attached to them and a
digital reading can be read off the screen.
Volume
Units used to measure volume include milliliters, liters, gallons etc,
with instruments such as cups, cylinders or pipets being used to take
these measurements. These instruments usually come with markings
on them so that measurements can be taken.
Fahrenheit / Celsius
Used to measure temperatures usually take measurements in either of
these two units, or sometimes both. T
The primary device used worldwide for measuring temperatures is
the thermometer, although temperature sensors are sometimes used
today.
