QSTU – Quantity – System – Tool – Unit — Measurement Skills
When using the QSTU chart, write the name of the object at the top of the column and follow the steps.
According to Answers dot com, a quantity is a measurable, countable, or comparable property or aspect of a thing. You can ask the questions: How much? How many? How heavy? How hot? How full? How long? How wide? How tall? How small? ETC!
When taking a measurement of an object (example: a rock) or a substance (example: milk) -
- First you must ask – What QUANTITY am I measuring? How much or how many? How heavy? How hot?
- Then you must decide which SYSTEM you are using – English or Metric system
- Next, this will help you decide which TOOL you will need to use.
- Finally, you will decide which UNIT is best to measure your object (matter).
If you need to measure how hot (QUANTITY-temperature) a glass of milk is…
…you would need to decide which SYSTEM to use:
Celsius or Fahrenheit? Most cookbooks published in America use the Fahrenheit scale which has smaller units than the Celsius scale. Everywhere else in the world uses Celsius. The same thing goes for most measurements. The United States is behind the rest of the world when it comes to changing over to the Metric System of measurements for weights, distance, liquids, volume, temperature, etc. Scientists always use the Metric system, except when it comes to rainfall or snowfall.
CHOOSING THE RIGHT MEASUREMENT TOOL:
If you are measuring HOW HOT a glass of milk is, you first need to use a tool to measure heat (thermometer). Which is the best thermometer to use? Thermometers for measuring your temperature when you are sick only go up to a certain amount, so if you used one of those on hot milk, it might break. You would need a thermometer used for cooking that goes into the higher temperatures.
CHOOSING THE RIGHT UNIT:
When measuring temperature, all of the systems use the same unit (DEGREES). If you wanted to measure the LENGTH of your table, which UNIT would be the best? After you decide your SYSTEM (Metric) and you’ve chosen your TOOL (tape measure) which unit is most appropriate? Millimeters? Centimeters? Kilometers?
- Here is a fun website to learn the prefixes and other uses of the metric system called THINK METRIC.
- CELSIUS – FAHRENHEIT CONVERTER


