Length can be defined as the measurement or extent of something from end to end. In other words, it is the larger of the two or the highest of three dimensions of objects. For example, a rectangle has its dimensions as the breadth and length. Also, the length can be defined as a quantity with dimension distance in the International System of Quantities.
What is the Unit of Length?
As defined in the previous section, the length is the measure of something. The base unit for length in the International System of Units (SI) system, is the meter and it is abbreviated as m. This can be done when the length is expressed using suitable units, such as the length of a table is 2 meters or 200 cm, the length of a string is 15 meters, and so on. Thus, the units of measurement help in understanding the given parameters in numeral format.
Units of Length Conversion
In the metric system, length or distance is expressed in terms of kilometers (km), meters (m), decimeter (dm), centimeters (cm), millimeters (mm). It is possible to convert units from km to m or from m to cm or from cm to mm and so on.
For measuring large lengths the unit kilometer is used as the unit of length. The relationship between different units of length is given below:
Units for the Measurement of Length
10 millimeters (mm) —1 centimeter (cm)
10 centimeters —-1 decimeter (d)
10 decimeters — 1 meter (m)
10 meters —–1 dekameter (da)
10 dekameter —1 hectometer (h)
10 hectometers —1 kilometers (km)
The conversion of units from one unit to another unit is essential while solving many problems to understand the various parameters. Below are a few conversions which are basic and will help in problem-solving.
Length Conversion Table
|
km to m |
m to cm |
cm to mm |
|||
|
km |
m |
m |
cm |
cm |
mm |
|
1 |
1000 |
1 |
100 |
1 |
10 |
|
2 |
2000 |
2 |
200 |
2 |
20 |
|
3 |
3000 |
3 |
300 |
3 |
30 |
|
4 |
4000 |
4 |
400 |
4 |
40 |
|
5 |
5000 |
10 |
1000 |
10 |
100 |
|
10 |
10000 |
50 |
5000 |
50 |
500 |
|
100 |
100000 |
100 |
10000 |
100 |
1000 |
Metric System and Customary System
With the assortment of various units, the metric system seems quite a logical system as compared to the known customary system, and converting units in the metric system is much simpler than converting them in the customary system.
The United States is the last remaining nation, which is still to adopt the concept of the metric system. However, it is an easy task to convert units in metric to the customary system by using the given conversion.
1 meter/metre (m) = 39.4 inches = 1.09 yards;
1 yard = 0.92 m
1 centimeter (cm) = 0.39 inches;
1 inch = 2.54 cm
What is the Difference Between Length and Height?
You can go through the below comparison chart which helps you to differentiate the dimensions such as length and height and understand it in a better way.
|
Comparison |
Length |
Height |
|
Actual Meaning |
The measurement of an object from one point to another point. |
Height is used to measure an object from the top to bottom |
|
Dimension |
It is measured in the most-extended dimension. |
It measures the dimension that would be up in any orientation. |
|
Axis of measurement |
Is a measurement in the horizontal axis. |
Is a measurement in the vertical axis. |
|
Used for |
The length determines how long an object is. |
Height is used for determining how high the object takes base as a reference. |
|
Type of object |
C |
Is usually measured for 3-dimensional objects. |
|
Examples |
Line, square, rectangle, cube, etc. |
Cube, cylinder, etc. |
Measurements of Length
Measurements of length and distance are done in various ways. Did you know that you can use the average human body as a means to measure? For example, the foot is around 25 – 30 cm. This particular unit of measurement is still in use nowadays. We also use units like yards and inches which are still in use but they are not the standard units of length measurements.
What Is Distance?
The distance can be defined as the product of time and speed and it can be represented as follows:
Where,
-
d is equal to the distance travelled in m
-
t is equal to the time taken to cover the distance in s
-
s is equal to the speed in m/s (metre per second)
Metric Units of Distance
The most commonly used units of measurement of length are as follows:
-
Millimetre
-
Centimetre
-
Metre
-
Kilometre
Fun Facts about Lengths
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