Virginia SOL Math / Grade 3 / Measurement & Geometry

3.MG.1

Measure Length, Weight & Volume

What you'll learn

  • Choose an appropriate unit and tool for a measurement
  • Estimate and measure length, weight/mass, and liquid volume
  • Measure to the nearest half or whole unit

Words to know

Length —
how long something is
Weight/Mass —
how heavy something is
Liquid volume —
how much a container holds
U.S. Customary —
inch, foot, pound, cup, gallon
Metric —
centimeter, meter, kilogram, liter

Why it matters We measure to build, cook, and stay healthy — choosing the right unit and tool makes the measurement useful.

Worked examples

Model ItI do

Measure the length of the pencil to the nearest inch.

Line the end of the pencil up with 0. The other end is between 4 and 5, closest to the mark for 4 1/2. The pencil is about 4 1/2 inches long.

Try It TogetherWe do

Would you measure the mass of an apple in grams or kilograms?

An apple is light, so grams is the better unit. Kilograms are for heavier objects like a backpack full of books.

Now YouYou do

Which tool and unit would you use to measure how much water a fish tank holds?

Name a tool and a liquid-volume unit. Check your answer in the back.

Practice

Mastered 0 of 11

Warm-up

Ease in with the basics.

  1. 1.Which unit is best for the length of a pencil: inches or feet?

  2. 2.Which is heavier: 1 pound or 1 ounce?

  3. 3.A bathtub holds about 40 ___ (cups or gallons)?

On Level

The core Quick Check from the book.

  1. 1.Which unit is best for the length of a classroom: inches or feet?

  2. 2.Which is heavier: 1 kilogram or 1 gram?

  3. 3.A juice box holds about 1 ___ (cup or gallon)?

  4. 4.Would you weigh a dog in pounds or ounces?

  5. 5.About how long is a new crayon: 4 inches or 4 feet?

Challenge

Stretch your thinking.

  1. 1.Would you measure the mass of a watermelon in grams or kilograms, and why?

  2. 2.A crayon is a little longer than 3 inches but shorter than 4 inches. To the nearest half inch it measures 3 1/2 inches. Is that closer to 3 or to 4 inches?

  3. 3.Which tool and metric unit would you use to measure how much water a bucket holds?