Motion and Measurement of Distances Class 6 PPT

 Page 1


Physical Quantities
• The quantities that can be measured 
are called physical quantities. For 
measuring the physical quantities, we 
require magnitude and a fixed unit. For 
example, If the distance from London to 
Reading is 275 km, so the magnitude is 
275 and its unit is km here.
• The specific physical quantities that 
cannot be expressed in any other 
quantity are called fundamental 
physical quantities. Some fundamental 
physical quantities are mass, length, 
time and temperature.
Page 2


Physical Quantities
• The quantities that can be measured 
are called physical quantities. For 
measuring the physical quantities, we 
require magnitude and a fixed unit. For 
example, If the distance from London to 
Reading is 275 km, so the magnitude is 
275 and its unit is km here.
• The specific physical quantities that 
cannot be expressed in any other 
quantity are called fundamental 
physical quantities. Some fundamental 
physical quantities are mass, length, 
time and temperature.
Traditional Units 
of Measurement
In ancient times, people use their hands, arms and feet to 
measure the quantities. These methods still use in the present 
time. The units that we measure through these methods are 
yards, cubit and handspan.
Units Description
Yard The distance between the endpoint of an outstretched arm to the 
tip of the nose.
Cubit The distance between the elbow to the tip of the middle finger.
Foot Measurement of the quantity by a barefoot of an adult person.
Handspan The measurement of a quantity by the tip of the thumb to the tip 
of the little finger when the palm is outstretched.
Page 3


Physical Quantities
• The quantities that can be measured 
are called physical quantities. For 
measuring the physical quantities, we 
require magnitude and a fixed unit. For 
example, If the distance from London to 
Reading is 275 km, so the magnitude is 
275 and its unit is km here.
• The specific physical quantities that 
cannot be expressed in any other 
quantity are called fundamental 
physical quantities. Some fundamental 
physical quantities are mass, length, 
time and temperature.
Traditional Units 
of Measurement
In ancient times, people use their hands, arms and feet to 
measure the quantities. These methods still use in the present 
time. The units that we measure through these methods are 
yards, cubit and handspan.
Units Description
Yard The distance between the endpoint of an outstretched arm to the 
tip of the nose.
Cubit The distance between the elbow to the tip of the middle finger.
Foot Measurement of the quantity by a barefoot of an adult person.
Handspan The measurement of a quantity by the tip of the thumb to the tip 
of the little finger when the palm is outstretched.
Standard Units of Measurement
Quantities SI units Symbol
Length metre m
Mass kilogram kg
Time second s
The standard units of measurement 
introduced to measure accurate quantity of 
any object.
In 1960, the General Council of Weights and 
Measures organized where all the scientists 
gathered to decide the uniform system of 
units acceptable all over the world.
Page 4


Physical Quantities
• The quantities that can be measured 
are called physical quantities. For 
measuring the physical quantities, we 
require magnitude and a fixed unit. For 
example, If the distance from London to 
Reading is 275 km, so the magnitude is 
275 and its unit is km here.
• The specific physical quantities that 
cannot be expressed in any other 
quantity are called fundamental 
physical quantities. Some fundamental 
physical quantities are mass, length, 
time and temperature.
Traditional Units 
of Measurement
In ancient times, people use their hands, arms and feet to 
measure the quantities. These methods still use in the present 
time. The units that we measure through these methods are 
yards, cubit and handspan.
Units Description
Yard The distance between the endpoint of an outstretched arm to the 
tip of the nose.
Cubit The distance between the elbow to the tip of the middle finger.
Foot Measurement of the quantity by a barefoot of an adult person.
Handspan The measurement of a quantity by the tip of the thumb to the tip 
of the little finger when the palm is outstretched.
Standard Units of Measurement
Quantities SI units Symbol
Length metre m
Mass kilogram kg
Time second s
The standard units of measurement 
introduced to measure accurate quantity of 
any object.
In 1960, the General Council of Weights and 
Measures organized where all the scientists 
gathered to decide the uniform system of 
units acceptable all over the world.
Other SI systems
• The measurement of smaller quantities is 
called submultiples of units. They represent 
with the factor of 1/10, 1/100 and 1/1000, etc.
• The measurement of larger quantities is called 
multiples of units. They represent with the 
factor 10, 100 and 1000, etc.
• Both multiples and submultiples have prefixes 
and symbol.
Prefixes Symbol Submultiples/Multiples
deci d Submultiple: 1/10
centi c Submultiple: 1/100
milli m Submultiple: 1/1000
Kilo k Multiple: 1000
Hecto h Multiple: 100
Mega M Multiple: 10000
Terms Description
CGS Centimetre for length, Gram for mass and Second for time
MKS Metre for length, Kilogram for mass and Second for time
FPS Foot for length, Pound for mass and Second for time
Page 5


Physical Quantities
• The quantities that can be measured 
are called physical quantities. For 
measuring the physical quantities, we 
require magnitude and a fixed unit. For 
example, If the distance from London to 
Reading is 275 km, so the magnitude is 
275 and its unit is km here.
• The specific physical quantities that 
cannot be expressed in any other 
quantity are called fundamental 
physical quantities. Some fundamental 
physical quantities are mass, length, 
time and temperature.
Traditional Units 
of Measurement
In ancient times, people use their hands, arms and feet to 
measure the quantities. These methods still use in the present 
time. The units that we measure through these methods are 
yards, cubit and handspan.
Units Description
Yard The distance between the endpoint of an outstretched arm to the 
tip of the nose.
Cubit The distance between the elbow to the tip of the middle finger.
Foot Measurement of the quantity by a barefoot of an adult person.
Handspan The measurement of a quantity by the tip of the thumb to the tip 
of the little finger when the palm is outstretched.
Standard Units of Measurement
Quantities SI units Symbol
Length metre m
Mass kilogram kg
Time second s
The standard units of measurement 
introduced to measure accurate quantity of 
any object.
In 1960, the General Council of Weights and 
Measures organized where all the scientists 
gathered to decide the uniform system of 
units acceptable all over the world.
Other SI systems
• The measurement of smaller quantities is 
called submultiples of units. They represent 
with the factor of 1/10, 1/100 and 1/1000, etc.
• The measurement of larger quantities is called 
multiples of units. They represent with the 
factor 10, 100 and 1000, etc.
• Both multiples and submultiples have prefixes 
and symbol.
Prefixes Symbol Submultiples/Multiples
deci d Submultiple: 1/10
centi c Submultiple: 1/100
milli m Submultiple: 1/1000
Kilo k Multiple: 1000
Hecto h Multiple: 100
Mega M Multiple: 10000
Terms Description
CGS Centimetre for length, Gram for mass and Second for time
MKS Metre for length, Kilogram for mass and Second for time
FPS Foot for length, Pound for mass and Second for time
Measuring Length
The measurement of length concerns the length, width, thickness, height and distance 
of any object.
There are several instruments used to measure the length. For example, a ruler, metre 
rod and a measuring tape, etc.
• A ruler has units of centimeter and millimeter. 
It is used to measure smaller quantities
• A meter rod is used by tailors to measure the 
length of the cloth. The unit of meter rod is 
fixed to one meter.