Measurable attributes of objects
Describe and identify measurable attributes of objects such as length, height, weight, and capacity; use comparative language (longer, shorter, heavier, lighter, more, less)
What a learner can do afterwards
- Identify that a pencil has length and can be measured
- Describe multiple attributes of one object (e.g. a bottle has height, weight, and capacity)
- Use words like 'long', 'heavy', 'full' to describe objects
1 · Read
Length tells how far something stretches. Long, short, longer and shorter describe length. Bars can stand for lengths. When both bars use the same scale, the taller bar means more length. Here, the ribbon's bar is taller than the rope's bar, so the ribbon is longer.
Weight tells how heavy something is. Heavy and light describe weight. A bag that is hard to lift can feel heavy. A bag that takes little effort to lift can feel light.
One object can have several things to measure. A bottle has height: how tall it is. It has weight: how heavy it is. It has capacity: how much it can hold. These are three different attributes of the same bottle.
Capacity is how much a container can hold. Full means it contains as much as it can hold. Empty means there is nothing inside. Half full means it contains half of what it can hold. Pouring some water out changes how full it is, but not its capacity.
Bars can also stand for weights. When both bars use the same scale, a taller bar means more weight. Here, the stone's bar is taller than the leaf's bar. The stone is heavier than the leaf.
For objects you can safely lift, hold one in each hand. Compare how strongly they pull down. The stronger pull is from the heavier object. Colour does not tell you which pulls down more. Ask an adult before lifting anything that might be too heavy.
You can describe and compare objects using length, weight, height, and capacity.
Readings, questions and flashcards written for this topic. Referenced videos are by Khan Academy.
2 · Watch
Take it off screen
Where it sits
Learn first
Nothing; this is a starting point.
Where this leads
Jobs that lean on this skill. Follow one to see everything it is built on.
17 questions wait behind this lesson, each with its answer explained. Every answer feeds the sky: stars light as they are learned, and dim when it is time to come back.