Video Transcript
Which unit is best to measure
the mass of a child? Kilograms or grams.
If we’re measuring the mass of
a child, we’re finding out how heavy they are. We’re given two units of
measurement to choose from. We could find out how heavy
they weigh in kilograms, but we also could in grams. The question asks us which unit
is best because one makes a bit more sense than the other. A kilogram is about the same as
a bag of apples or a liter of water. A gram is about the same as a
paperclip.
Now imagine a child stands on
one end of a set of weighing scales. What would you rather use to
get the scales to balance? A few bottles of water or bags
of apples or some paperclips? Well, we said some paperclips,
you’d need lots and lots and lots and lots of paperclips, wouldn’t you? Almost too many to count. The number of grams that a
child weighs is a big number. We usually use kilograms for
measuring heavier objects. And so the best unit to use to
measure the mass of a child is kilograms.
