MTH 232

1
MTH 232

• Section 10.1
• The Measurement Process

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The Measurement Process

1. Choose the property, or attribute, of an object
   or event that is to be measured.
2. Select an appropriate unit of measurement.
3. Select an appropriate measurement device.
4. Express the measurement with the appropriate
   units.

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A History of Measurement

• In early times, units of measurement were defined
  more for convenience than for accuracy.
• Many units of length correspond to parts of the
  human body
• The foot was the length of a human foot.
• The yard was the distance from a persons nose to
  his outstretched hand.
• The cubit was the length of a persons arm from
  elbow to fingertip.
• The hand was the width of a persons hand with
  fingers not spread.
• The span was the width of a persons hand with
  fingers spread.

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More History

• Eventually, these convenient measurements became
  standardized to the English, or U.S., system we
  currently use.
• Some units (inch, foot, yard, mile) are more
  familiar than others (rod, furlong).
• Learning this system requires extensive
  memorization, and using the system involves
  computations with cumbersome numerical factors.

5
Quick Quiz!

• Fill in the blanks.
• ____ inches 1 foot
• ____ feet 1 yard
• ____ feet 1 mile
• ____ feet 1 rod
• ____ feet 1 furlong

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Units of Area and Volume

• Area is the number of square units required to
  cover a region.
• Area is typically expressed in square units.
• The acre, a unit of measurement that is equal to
  43,560 square feet, is also sometimes used.
• Volume is the number of cubic units requires to
  fill a space.
• Volume is typically expressed in cubic units.

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Units of Capacity

• Capacity is the volume that can be held in a
  container such as a bottle, pan, basket, or tank.
• Units of capacity include teaspoons, tablespoons,
  fluid ounces, cups, pints, quarts, gallons, and
  bushels (used for dry measure).

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The Metric System

• Surprisingly, the Metric System has been around
  since the late 18th century.
• The official name is the International System of
  Units, or the SI System.
• It was standardized in the early 1980s and is
  now used by nearly every industrialized nation in
  the world.
• The United States has not fully converted, which
  has led to many products having dual labeling.

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How the Metric System Works

• The ratio of one unit of measure to another is
  also a power of 10.
• Each power of 10 is given a prefix (e.g., kilo-,
  milli-, or centi-) that modifies the fundamental
  unit (meter, liter, or gram).
• Conversion between units is a matter of moving
  the decimal point.
• King Henry Doesnt Usually Drink Chocolate Milk