Upper and Lower Measures
'How accurately can you measure?'
The measuring instrument's accuracy limits the students' accuracy.
Resources
How accurately can you measure?
Students should work in pairs to carry out the below measuring activities
Equipment needed:
- 1 inch ruler (template cut-outs available to download in next section)
- 0.1 inch ruler (templates in next section)
- Mass balance (iphone scales /android ‘scales’ apps could be used).
- Graduating cylinder (from science department or buy a set for the maths department)
Measure these objects and quantities
Rulers
1 inch scale [Warning: when viewed on some browsers the below 'rulers' don't look like a full ruler + scale - do not worry - when printed they print out as regular rulers with the correct scales (even if, in the 'print preview', the ruler rectangular outline doesn't show)]
0.1 inch scale
Syllabus links
SL1.6 Upper and lower limits/bounds of rounded numbers
Description
The absence of a detailed scale obliges the use of estimation and hence stimulates students to reflect, in more depth, on the fact that numbers are only as accurate as the tool used to measure them.