Customary Units of Measurement Worksheets
In this section we look at many different ways to measure and weigh different things. We focus on the customary units, but also take a quick look at the Metric system. Both systems are in place and recognized by the United States which the traditional measurement system is the U.S. Standard which follows customary units. It is necessary for the United States to recognize both systems because they are engrained and invested in their system and in order to trade internationally, they need to support the Metric system. These worksheets will help students make the conversion and transition between these units and systems for that matter.
Aligned Standard: Grade 6 Proportional Relationships - 6.RP.A.3d
- Meters to Feet Step-by-step Lesson- Anyone who was born with exactly 12 inch feet has a natural advantage. Although I would still use the tape measure instead.
- Guided Lesson - You will convert and compare all types of measures here.
- Guided Lesson Explanation - This is where measurement starts to get a bit tougher for students.
- Practice Worksheet - A huge series of conversion problems for kids to work with.
- Triangle Proportions to Determine Length Five Pack- It is not well stated in the worksheet, but these are proportions of similar triangles.
- Matching Worksheet - This is one of the weirdest matching sheets I have. It does make them think though.
- Answer Keys - These are for all the unlocked materials above.
Homework Sheets
This standard expects students to have a reference or know length units cold.
- Homework 1 - We have to convert meters to feet by multiplying.
- Homework 2 - Which is more, 9 centimeters or 50 millimeters?
- Homework 3 - Here is and example problem: Divide. 80 kilometers 40 meters ÷ 20
Practice Worksheets
These problems are worded more friendly than some of the homework problems.
- Practice 1 - 2 times of 3 kilometers 5 meters = _____ kilometers ____ meters
- Practice 2 - How many centimeters are there in 8 kilometers?
- Practice 3 - Which is more, 10 inches or 6 feet?
Math Skill Quizzes
You will find a nice mix of question types in here as you progress through the quizzes.
- Quiz 1 - Which is more, 10 yards or 50 miles?
- Quiz 2 - A sync up of all the problems we have seen.
- Quiz 3 - The last quiz in the bunch.
Why Are There Different Measurement Systems?
How do you tell someone how far or how big something is? We have a different language to communicate this information- the measurement system. We are all familiar with the tiny letters that are written next to the number. These small letters are commonly termed as measuring units. They define how light or heavy a thing is, and how fast or slow the car is traveling. The interesting thing about these measuring units is that they are not universal across the world. There are two commonly followed measurement systems throughout the world International System of Units (Metric) and Imperial (U.S. Standard). The entire world besides three countries has adopted the International System of Units which is the modern form of the metric system. Those three countries as the United States, Liberia, and Myanmar. Those oddball countries follow a form of the traditional Imperial measurement system. This means that the height of the Empire State building and London’s Big Ben are measured in different units by the local people.
The American Colonies was following the Imperial measurement system while under the rule of England. Once the United States was formed politicians elected to keep that system of measures in place and form the U.S. Customary Measurement System. Once the Industrial Revolution took place the United States was so embedded and invested in their measurement system that it would be a huge economic endeavor to switch to the Metric System. About forty-years after making the decision to stick to their system, the U.S. government official recognized the Metric System and allowed goods and services to be manufactured and performed using those units.
There have been some small adaptations made to accommodate the Metric System by American companies. Since the sell products and services across the world that uses the Metric System, it just makes sense that they will need to manufacture these products in units of those countries. It is thought that approximately thirty percent of products produced in the United States use Metric units.
U.S Customary Units
The U.S customary units are the commonly defined weights and measures that are recognized for capacity, length, temperature, and weight. When it comes to temperature the U.S. Customary Units are in Fahrenheit. A common relation to the Metric system which is measured in Celsius is that 1 degree Celsius is equal to 33.8 degrees Fahrenheit.
Length - The common customary units for length are: Inches, Feet, Yards, Miles. Here is a quick relationship of these units:
12 inches = 1 foot
3 feet = 1 yard
1,760 yards = 1 mile
Weight - For mass or weight the commonly used units are: Ounces, Pounds, Tons. Here is how these units relate to one another:
16 ounces = 1 pound
2,000 pounds = 1 ton
Liquid Volume - When we are measuring the capacity of volume we look to use these 5 units in the U.S. customary system: Fluid Ounces, Cups, Pints, Quarts, Gallons. Here is how these all these units relate:
8 fluid ounces = 1 cup
2 cups = 1 pint
2 pints = 1 quart
4 quarts = 1 gallon
Metric System
Most countries follow the metric system of measurements. Which is much easier, on most measurements, to scale either larger or smaller because all measurement units of the same measure differ by powers of ten. It provides for a much smoother transition between these units. Take a look at the relationships of these units:
Length - Millimeters, Centimeters, Meters, Kilometers.
1 kilometer = 1,000 meters
1 meter = 100 centimeters
1 centimeter = 10 millimeters
Weight- Grams, Kilograms. The relationship here is quite simple 1 kilogram = 1,000 grams.
Liquid Volume- Milliliters, Liters. 1 Liter = 1,000 milliliters.