Importance of Measurement

We will discuss here about the importance of measurement. Measurement of weight, volume, length and time has now become a part of our daily life. Proper selection of units and accurate measurement of items are very important in our daily life. When we go to a market to purchase vegetables, we normally buy vegetables on the basis of weight but not in numbers because it is easier to buy the vegetables by weighing it in gram or kilogram than counting their numbers. On the other hand, it is difficult to assess the volume of vegetables, because vegetables are of different sizes and shapes.

When we go to buy milk, we normally do not buy it in kg or gram. As milk is denser than water, one kg milk will have lesser volume than one kg water. The most common measuring unit of milk is liter.

Take a packet of puffed rice and a packet of sugar, both weighing 500 g. We see that the packet of puffed rice is at least five times bigger than that of sugar due to this wide range of difference we never buy certain items by volume but we buy on the basis of their weights only.

If we go to a cloth market you never expect to buy pieces of cloth by weight. The shopkeeper will measure its perfect length before selling it to us.

So, for buying any article we have to depend on perfect measurement of that article in suitable unit because the measurement of an article is related to its price. Whenever we go for buying anything, enquire the selling unit of measurement of that article prior to buying and then know the price from the seller. Every time we place an order, check the method of measurement carefully. If we notice anything wrong, we have every right to check the balance, weight pieces, metre sticks or measuring mugs and any of the accessories, which are used by the seller.

Beside weight, length and volume we have to interact with another very important thing in our daily life i.e., the time. In modern life everything runs against time. The unit of time is hour. An hour is divided into 60 minutes and each minute is further divided into 60 seconds. We use clocks, wristwatches or many other modern devices to keep a look on time. We have to maintain time in every bit of our life from catching a train to sending a space shuttle to space.

It is now clear to us that proper measurement of articles and the application of correct units of measurement are very important in our daily life.

Fifth Grade

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