We can measure things with a ruler. The marks on the ruler are inches or centimeters. Using a ruler tells us how long or how high something is. A table may be 30 inches high.

There are other ways to measure things. You can use a scale to see how much something weighs. The scale may weigh in pounds or ounces. Some scales weigh using "grams". This may be called "mass". How much do you weigh?

You can also measure with time. How many minutes until lunch? How many hours until bed time? Everyone uses minutes and hours to measure time.

We use a thermometer to measure temperature. The thermometer tells how warm or cold something is. A hot day may be 100 degrees. A cold day may be 15 degrees.

We may also want to know how much gas a tank will hold. We might need to know how much space is on top of a wing. This can be measured.

All of these measures help us make better airplanes. Better measuring means better flying.

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Last modified: Sat Jun 20 21:18:09 PDT 1998