Planning an Investigation: Measurement
Science: Year 5 & 6 National Curriculum, topic 11.3.4
Planning an Investigation - Measurement
There are a few things to consider about how and what you will measure in a scientific investigation.
Questions to ask
- You need to consider:
- Can you get a measurement from your investigation?
- How will you measure sensibly and accurately and what equipment will you need (e.g. ruler, tape measure, scales, thermometer, force-meter, sound meter, light meter)?
- What units will you use in your measurement (e.g. mm, cm, grams, degrees, decibels)?
Measuring accurately
- Measuring by ‘looking’ will NOT be that accurate.
- You can get more accurate information using a piece of measuring equipment.
Choosing measuring equipment
- It is important to choose the correct measuring equipment to get an accurate result.
- E.g. using a tape measure rather than a ruler to measure distances longer than 30cm would be sensible.
Test yourself on Planning an Investigation: Measurement
What do you need to measure something accurately?
If you want to measure a distance more than a metre, what would be the best equipment to choose?