Definition
Length
Length tells how long an object, segment, path, or interval is.
Continue from this idea into connected AXIO math.
What it means
Length follows one direction or one path. To measure it, line up the start of the object with a real zero mark, then read the mark at the other end. If the object starts at another ruler mark, subtract the starting reading from the ending reading.
Remember it
Follow from one end to the other and count the unit-sized distance between them.
Example
A strip begins at the 2 cm mark of a ruler and ends at the 14 cm mark. Its length is 14 − 2 = 12 cm, not 14 cm.
Watch for
Area is not length: area covers a surface and uses square units, while length follows one direction and uses linear units.
Common mix-up
The ruler reading at the far end is only the length when the object began at zero.
Exact meaning
Length is a one-dimensional measure of the distance from one end to another, or along a specified path. It is expressed in linear units such as millimetres, centimetres, metres, inches, or feet.