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Lesson ID: 14176
Chocolate bars make a tasty treat! How much bigger is a king-size bar? Learn how to measure precisely with mixed numbers to find out exact sizes and make accurate comparisons!
Chocolate bars are a yummy treat. Not only are they delicious, but chocolate has also been found to increase your mood and make you feel better!
You probably wanted to choose the biggest chocolate bar.
Dark chocolate, white chocolate, milk chocolate, and more...there are so many types of chocolate to measure...and enjoy!
Measuring chocolate bars might sound like hard work, but it's actually pretty sweet!
When measuring any object, a ruler can help you find its exact length—even when it's not a whole number.
That's where fractions come in handy! When a measurement lands between two whole numbers, you can use a mixed number.
A mixed number is a whole number with a fraction, like 2 1/4 or 3 1/2.
Look closely at a ruler that measures inches. You can see many little lines between each whole number.
Each line represents a fraction of an inch. Since there are 16 lines between each whole number, each line is 1/16 of an inch.
Here's the trick: always use the lowest equivalent fraction. To find it, look for the largest number that divides evenly into both the top and bottom numbers of your fraction.
So, that means that 2/16 on a ruler is the same as 1/8.
A ruler may look like it has a lot of tiny lines, but those lines follow a pattern.
On an inch ruler, the space from one whole number to the next whole number is 1 inch. That inch is split into smaller equal parts.
Look between 0 and 1 on a ruler. You may see long, medium, and short lines.
The longest line in the middle marks 1/2 inch.
The next-longest lines mark fourths:
1/4 inch
2/4 inch, which is the same as 1/2 inch
3/4 inch
The smaller lines mark eighths:
1/8 inch
2/8 inch, which is the same as 1/4 inch
3/8 inch
4/8 inch, which is the same as 1/2 inch
5/8 inch
6/8 inch, which is the same as 3/4 inch
7/8 inch
Some rulers also show sixteenths. These are the tiniest marks between the bigger lines.
When you measure, find the whole number first. Then, count the little marks after that whole number.
For example, if a chocolate bar reaches 2 inches and 4 more sixteenth marks, the measurement is 2 4/16 inches.
That fraction can be simplified because 4 and 16 can both be divided by 4.
4/16 = 1/4
So, the chocolate bar measures 2 1/4 inches.
Sweet measuring tip: Use the fraction with the smallest numbers that still gives the same measurement.
Now, try measuring a chocolate bar to see exactly how big it is!
Imagine measuring a delicious chocolate bar to see how big it is.
To measure the chocolate bar, start by lining up the ruler's edge with the chocolate bar's edge.
This chocolate bar measures between 2 and 3. If you look closely at the markings, it stops at the 1/2 mark, between 2 and 3.
You can use a mixed number to tell how much the chocolate bar measures.
This means there is 2 1/2 inches of delicious chocolate to enjoy!
Now, take a closer look at how mixed numbers help you measure objects that are longer than 1 inch.
Imagine three chocolate bars lined up with a ruler.
The first chocolate bar starts at 0 and ends halfway between 3 and 4.
That means it measures 3 full inches plus 1/2 more inch.
The length is 3 1/2 inches.
You could also count every 1/2-inch piece from 0 to the end of the bar.
There are 7 half-inch pieces, so the measurement can also be written as 7/2 inches.
3 1/2 inches and 7/2 inches are equivalent, but a mixed number is usually easier to understand when measuring length.
Now, imagine a second chocolate bar. It starts at 0 and ends at the third ofourth mark after 5.
That means it measures 5 full inches plus 3/4 more inch.
The length is 5 3/4 inches.
If you counted every 1/4-inch piece from 0 to the end of the bar, there would be 23 fourths.
So, 5 3/4 inches is the same as 23/4 inches.
Try one more.
A third chocolate bar starts at 0 and ends at the fifth eighth mark after 1.
That means it measures 1 full inch plus 5/8 more inch.
The length is 1 5/8 inches.
To measure any object with a ruler, follow these steps.
Line up one edge of the object with 0 on the ruler.
Find the last whole inch the object passes.
Count the fraction marks after that whole inch.
Write the measurement as a mixed number.
Include the unit: inches.
A chocolate bar that ends three eighth marks after 4 measures 4 3/8 inches.
A chocolate bar that ends one fourth mark after 2 measures 2 1/4 inches.
A chocolate bar that ends halfway between 6 and 7 measures 6 1/2 inches.
That is how a ruler turns tiny marks into exact measurements!
Fantastic!
Here is another chocolate bar to measure.
Nice work!
Head to the Got It? section for more measurement practice with mixed numbers.
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