NSW Syllabus for the Australian Curriculum

Cambridge MATHS for Year 8

Chapter 3: Measurement and

Pythagoras theorem (Part 1)
Saumil S. Sharma
B.Sc., MBA

Identification of Shapes

Units of Length
For thousands of years, civilisations have found ways
to measure length. The Egyptians, for example, used
the cubit (length of an arm from the elbow to the tip
of the middle fi nger), the Romans used the pace (5
feet) and the English developed their imperial system
using inches, feet, yards and miles. The modern-day
system used in Australia (and most other countries) is
the metric system, which was developed in France in
the 1790s and is based on the unit called the metre.
We use units of length to describe the distance
between two points, or the distance around the
outside of a shape, called the perimeter.

Inter conversion of metric

units

Kilo means thousand times. For example kilogram is equal to 1000

grams.
Centi means one hundredth part. Therefore, centi meter is a
hundredth part of a metre.
Milli means one thousandth part. E.g. milligram is a thousandth part of
a gram.
To convert Kilometer into metre multiply by 1000 and metre into
kilometre divide by 1000
To convert metre into centimetre multiply by 100 and centimetre into

Example

Perimeter
Peri means outer and meter
means to measure. Therefore, the
distance around the outside of a
shape, called the perimeter.

Discussion

Example

Example