Length Mean in Math

When we see tall objects like hills, towers, buildings, long trees, bridges, tracks, etc., we often wonder how tall they are. In such cases, we tend to measure the height of these objects, which is sometimes referred to as the length of a particular thing. For example, the length of the bridge or track. In this article, you will learn the definition of length along with units of measurement, conversion rules, and more information including examples in detail.

Definition of Length

The length of something is the measurement or extent of it from end to end. In other words, it is the larger of the two or the highest of three dimensions of geometrical shapes or objects. For example, a rectangle has its dimensions as length and breadth. Also, the length is a quantity with dimension distance in the International System of Quantities.

Unit of Length

As we defined in the previous section, length is simply the measure of something. The question now is how to express that length measurement in a way that everyone can understand. The base unit for length in the International System of Units (SI) is the meter, which is abbreviated as m.

This can be done when the length is expressed using suitable units, such as meters or centimeters. For example, the length of a table can be expressed as 2 meters or 200 centimeters. This way, the units of measurement can help in understanding the given parameters in numerical form.

Length of conversion

The metric system expresses length or distance in terms of kilometers (km), meters (m), decimeters (dm), centimeters (cm), and millimeters (mm). You can convert these units by going from km to m, m to cm, or cm to mm, and so on.

Length and Breadth

As we know, a rectangle has two dimensions: length and width, as shown in the figure below.

Here, length = l and breadth = b.

The two dimensions of length and width are used to find the perimeter and area of a shape.

How to measure length?

There are a few ways to measure the length of an object – either by using a scale (ruler) or measuring tape. These tools are mostly used to measure the length of smaller objects, as an ideal ruler’s maximum length is only 30 cm.

If the object you need to measure is larger, then it’s best to use a measuring tape for a quick and easy measurement.