Measurement: Long, Short, Heavy, Light

Kindergarten · Math · Study Guide

Learn how to compare objects by how long they are and how much they weigh.

Measurement means finding out how big, how long, or how heavy something is. Even without a ruler or scale, we can compare objects and describe them.

Length is how long or short something is from one end to the other. A school bus is long. A pencil is shorter than a bus. We can line objects up at the same starting point to compare their length.

Height is how tall something is. A giraffe is tall. A mouse is short. We can stand objects next to each other to compare their height.

Weight tells us how heavy or light something is. A watermelon is heavy. A feather is light. We can hold one object in each hand to feel which one is heavier.

When we compare, we always need two things to compare. We say something is long or short compared to something else. For example, a crayon is long compared to an eraser, but it is short compared to a ruler.

These measuring words help us describe and share information about the world around us!

Key terms

Length: How long or short something is from one end to the other.
Height: How tall or short something is from bottom to top.
Weight: How heavy or light something is.
Long: Stretches far from one end to the other.
Short: Does not stretch very far from one end to the other.
Heavy: Has a lot of weight; takes effort to lift.
Light: Does not weigh much; easy to lift.

Flashcards

Long: Something with a great distance from end to end. A snake can be long.
Short: Something with a small distance from end to end. An eraser is short.
Heavy: Something that weighs a lot. A rock is heavy.
Light: Something that does not weigh much. A balloon is light.
Tall: Something with a great height. A building is tall.
Length: The measure of how long something is.
Is an elephant heavy or light?: Heavy! Elephants weigh thousands of pounds.
Is a piece of thread long or short?: It depends what you compare it to! It is shorter than a rope but longer than a dot.

Questions

Which is longer: a bus or a bicycle?
1. Bicycle
2. Bus
3. They are the same
4. Cannot tell
Show answer
Answer: Bus
A bus is much longer than a bicycle. Buses carry many people and stretch many feet.
A feather is heavier than a rock.
Show answer
Answer: False
A feather is very light. A rock is much heavier than a feather.
A giraffe is ___ than a cat. (taller or shorter)
Show answer
Answer: taller
A giraffe is much taller than a cat. Giraffes are the tallest animals on land.
Which object is heaviest?
1. A leaf
2. A pencil
3. A bowling ball
4. A piece of paper
Show answer
Answer: A bowling ball
A bowling ball is the heaviest of the choices. Leaves, pencils, and paper are all very light.
A ruler is longer than a crayon.
Show answer
Answer: True
A standard ruler (12 inches) is longer than most crayons.

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