NCERT Solutions for Class 5th Maths Chapter 5 Far and Near
Updated on 2026-09-19
About this chapter
Choose the unit that fits the thing. A handkerchief is about 40 cm long. India Gate is about 42 m tall. Both use the number 40-something, but one needs centimetres and the other needs metres. Ask yourself: is this thing about as big as my hand, my classroom, or my village? Small things take cm, room-sized things take m, far-away places take km. 1 m = 100 cm. So a metre is a hundred centimetres joined in a line. To change metres into centimetres, multiply by 100. 6 m = 6 × 100 = 600 cm. To change centimetres into metres, see how many hundreds are inside. 540 cm = 500 cm + 40 cm = 5 m 40 cm. 1 km = 1,000 m. Kilo means thousand. When you walk 1,000 m, you have walked 1 km. This is the unit for long distances — the road to the next town, a train journey, a race. 34 km = 34 × 1,000 = 34,000 m.
- Choosing the right unit of measurement
- Shikha and Sonu at the village weaving centre
- Ritika's rods and the world's tallest statues
- Long Tape, Rodometer, Rangefinder, Laser Distance Meter
- m = 1 km
- Sheena and Jennifer organise a 3-km race
- The Vivek Express, Dibrugarh to Kanniyakumari
- Sprout, small screws, nail
- The design made of four shapes, one inside another
- Growing a moong or chana sprout and measuring it
Quick revision
| Word | What it means | Where it appears | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Length | How long a thing is from end to end | Page 57, first paragraph | A handkerchief is 40 cm long |
| Distance | How far apart two places are | Chapter title Far and Near, page 57 | Dibrugarh to Kanniyakumari is 4,187 km |
| Centimetre (cm) | A small standard unit; the numbered marks on your ruler | Let Us Find, page 57 | A mobile phone is about 13 cm long |
| Metre (m) | 100 centimetres joined in a line | Let Us Find, page 57 | A well can be 50 m deep |
| Millimetre (mm) | One of the ten equal parts of a centimetre | The World of Small Things, page 61 | 1 cm = 10 mm |
| Kilometre (km) | 1,000 metres; used for long distances | Let Us Explore, page 59 | 3-km race = 3,000 m |
| Kilo | A word meaning thousand | Page 59 | Kilometre = thousand metres |
| Double number line | Two number lines drawn one below the other, lined up, showing the same lengths in two units | Pages 57, 63 and 67 | 1 cm on top, 10 mm below it |
| Long tape | A very long measuring tape used on a playground | Measuring Long Distances, page 59 | Used to mark 100 m and 200 m |
| Rodometer (measuring wheel) | A wheel you push along the ground; it counts how far it has rolled | Measuring Long Distances, page 59 | Used to measure a road |
| Rangefinder / Laser distance meter | Tools that measure a distance without walking it | Measuring Long Distances, page 59 | Used to measure across a field |
| Precision | How exact a measurement is | The World of Small Things, page 61 | Millimetre marks add precision |
| Inch | A unit used for height; a little more than 2½ cm | Let Us Explore, page 68 | 1 inch = 2 cm 5 mm |
| Foot | 12 inches, about 30 cm | Let Us Explore, page 68 | A child may be 4 ft 2 in tall |
| Reference | A thing whose size you already know, used to guess another size | Let Us Estimate, page 68 | A one-storeyed house is about 3 m |
Exercises
- Choosing the right unit of measurement — Let Us Find Page 57
- Shikha and Sonu at the village weaving centre — Different Units but Same Measure Page 57–58
- Ritika's rods and the world's tallest statues — Let Us Compare Page 58
- Long Tape, Rodometer, Rangefinder, Laser Distance Meter — Measuring Long Distances · Let Us Do Page 59
- m = 1 km — Let Us Explore Page 591,000
- Sheena and Jennifer organise a 3-km race — Kilometre Race Page 60
- The Vivek Express, Dibrugarh to Kanniyakumari — Let Us Do: Longest Train Journey Page 60–61
- Sprout, small screws, nail — Let Us Explore: The World of Small Things Page 61
- The design made of four shapes, one inside another — Let Us Measure Page 61
- Growing a moong or chana sprout and measuring it — Let Us Do Page 62
- Drawing lines of a given length with a scale — Let Us Draw Page 62
- Relationships between Different Units — Let Us Do Page 63–64
- Saji's walk and the electricians' cable — Adding and Subtracting Lengths Page 64–65
- Word problems on adding and subtracting lengths — Let Us Do Page 66
- Shirts, cloth for bags, a sari border and a new road — Multiplying and Dividing Lengths Page 66–67
- Guessing heights and depths using a reference — Let Us Estimate Page 68
- Feet and inches — Let Us Explore Page 68
- Measuring heights in feet and inches — Measure Your Height Page 69
- The operation-sign puzzle — Try This Page 69