Q1.
Measure 100 m and 200 m on your school playground, or any other place in and around your school, using a Long Tape. Mark these points and draw a straight line. Walk on the lines and count the number of steps. Use this relationship between the number of steps taken and distance walked to find distances around you for at least 3 locations. (a) Identify and write the locations that are the nearest and the farthest from your home. (b) Write the distances obtained above in increasing order. (c) Name a location that is equal to or more than 1,000 m from your home.
Answer
This one you must actually walk. Here is exactly how to do it, and then a sample answer you can copy the shape of.
- Lay the long tape on the playground. Mark the 0 point with a stone and the 100 m point with another stone. Draw a straight line between them.
- Walk the line normally. Do not take extra-long steps. Count every step out loud with a friend.
- Write down the count. Suppose you took 140 steps for 100 m.
- Find one step. 100 m ÷ 140 steps is a little less than 1 m, so about 140 steps make 100 m. This is your personal step rule.
- Walk to a place and count. If you take 280 steps to the shop, that is 2 × 140 steps, so the shop is about 200 m away.
- If you cannot walk there (a big pond in between, a busy road), find the distance some other way and work out how many steps it would take.
140 steps = 100 m
280 steps = 2 × 140 = 200 m
700 steps = 5 × 140 = 500 m
1,400 steps = 10 × 140 = 1,000 m = 1 km
280 steps = 2 × 140 = 200 m
700 steps = 5 × 140 = 500 m
1,400 steps = 10 × 140 = 1,000 m = 1 km
Sample answer:
| Place | Steps counted | Distance from home |
|---|---|---|
| Neighbour's house | 70 | 50 m |
| Village shop | 280 | 200 m |
| School | 700 | 500 m |
| Bus stand | 1,680 | 1,200 m = 1 km 200 m |
(a) Nearest location: the neighbour's house (50 m). Farthest location: the bus stand (1 km 200 m).
(b) In increasing order: 50 m, 200 m, 500 m, 1,200 m.
(c) A location 1,000 m or more from home: the bus stand, which is 1,200 m — more than 1 km away.
Why counting steps works: Your steps are all about the same size, so steps and metres go up together. Twice the steps means twice the distance. This is exactly what the rodometer (measuring wheel) does — it counts turns of the wheel instead of steps.
Tip: Your friend's step rule will be different from yours, because your legs are different lengths. That is fine. Each of you should measure your own 100 m and make your own rule.