How Do You Read A Ruler Scale?
To measure an object with a ruler, you have to be able to understand the scale on the ruler. Knowing the units of measure–and the subunits–and how to count them will help you measure correctly every time. Determine whether the ruler uses the English system or the metric system. If it uses the English system, it will measure in fractions of an inch, inches or feet. If it uses the metric system, it will be in millimeters, centimeters or meters. Determine the standard unit of measure–the one that is labeled with numbers. On a ruler, these will usually be inches or centimeters, but larger rulers might use meters or feet while smaller rulers might use half inches or millimeters. To measure the object, find the largest number to the left of the end of the object. For example, if the object ends between the “3” and the “4,” use the 3. Determine the fraction of the unit of measure to be added to the whole number. If it falls between 2 lines, chose the line closest the end of the object. If
