Overview
Length : The distance-span between two points is the length. It is measured in meter or in one of its other forms.
Length is specified as a number in reference to the reference-prototype-standard meter (or in one of other derived or similar forms).
distance-span
Length is "the measurement of distance-span between two points, specified in reference to the standard meter"
The word "span" means: full extent or full spread of something.
Length of an object is the distance-span of the object from one end to the other end. To specify the distance-span the standard-unit meter is defined. The figure illustrates reference at the top-right corner and the length of line segment is measured as in reference to the standard-unit.
The standard unit of measure for length is "meter"
large or small
The distance between two cities is meter. It is noted that the number is very large in some applications.
To simplify specifying such large values, a larger measure of length is defined such as kilometer = meter. Using the larger measure, the distance between two cities is given as kilometer.
The length of a pen is very small to measure in meter. It is noted that the number is very small in some applications.
To simplify specifying such small values, a smaller measure of length is defined such as meter = centimeter. Using the smaller measure, the length of a pen is given as centimeter.
The basic unit "meter" is converted into smaller or larger units of lengths.
millimeter = meter
centimeter = meter
decimeter = meter
decameter = meter
hectometer = meter
kilometer = meter
Remember the following:
"milli" is from a Latin root word meaning thousand
"centi" is from a Latin root word meaning hundred
"deci" is from a Latin root word meaning tenth
"deca" is from a Greek root word meaning ten
"hecto" is from a Greek root word meaning hundred
"kilo" is from a Greek root word meaning thousand
Among these, millimeter, centimeter, meter, and kilometer are widely used depending on the scale of the length measurement.
what it means
The statement "length of the stick is meter"
specifies that
"The distance-span of the stick equals distance-spans given by the standard unit meter".
summary
Length : The distance-span between two points is the length. It is measured in meter or in one of its other forms.
Length is specified as a number in reference to the reference-prototype-standard meter (or in one of other derived or similar forms).
Outline
The outline of material to learn "Mensuration basics : Length, Area, & Volume" is as follows.
Note: click here for detailed outline of Mensuration (Basics).
• Measuring Basics
→ Introduction to Standards
→ Measuring Length
→ Accurate & Approximate Meaures
→ Measuring Area
→ Measuring Volume
→ Conversion between Units of Measure
• 2D shapes
→ Perimeter of Polygons
→ Area of Square & rectangle
→ Area of Triangle
→ Area of Polygons
→ Perimeter and area of a Circle
→ Perimeter & Area of Quadrilaterals
• 3D shapes
→ Surface Area of Cube, Cuboid, Cylinder
→ Volume of Cube, Cuboid, Cylinder