MEASUREMENT
Math is not just something that happens on a piece of paper. Measurement is how we use numbers to understand the physical universe: how tall, how heavy, how long, and where things are.
The Physical World
To measure something, we have to agree on a Standard Unit. If I say a table is "5 long," that means nothing! Is it 5 inches? 5 miles? 5 pencils? By agreeing on units, scientists and builders around the world can share exactly how big things are.
Length
How far apart two points are. Measured in Meters or Feet.
Mass
How much "stuff" is inside an object. Measured in Grams or Pounds.
Volume
How much space a liquid or 3D object takes up. Measured in Liters or Gallons.
Measuring Time
Unlike distance or weight, time is constantly moving forward. To measure it, ancient humans looked at the sky and noticed patterns that repeated themselves.
- 1 YearOne orbit of Earth around the Sun
- 1 DayOne full spin of the Earth
- Hours, Minutes, SecondsHuman inventions to slice up the day!
Navigating Space
How do you tell a pirate exactly where a treasure is buried? You need a map! In math, our map is called the Cartesian Coordinate Plane.
The horizontal line. Positive numbers mean step right. Negative numbers mean step left.
The vertical line. Positive numbers mean fly up. Negative numbers mean dig down.
The exact center where the lines cross is called the Origin. Its coordinates are always (0, 0). Every journey starts here!
Unit Complete!
You can now measure and navigate the universe.