Question

Meter scale is used to measure ____________.
A. length
B. mass
C. volume
D. area

Answer 1

Hint-A meter scale is 1 meter long. It is divided into 100 equal parts each corresponding to 1 centimeter. Each centimeter is again divided into 10 equal parts each corresponding to 1 millimeter. The smallest measurement that can be taken using a meter scale is 1 millimeter.

Complete answer:
We know that length is a fundamental quantity which is used to measure distance between two points. Length is measured in the SI unit meter. The CGS unit of length is centimeter. Other smaller units of length include micrometer, millimeter, and large units of length include kilometer, light year etc.
We can do the measurement of length both directly and indirectly. In indirect methods we can use equations or formulas and other calculations to find the measurement. For example, we can calculate the radius of earth using indirect methods.
When we take the measurements directly using any instruments then it is called direct measurement. The measurement of length using a meter scale is a direct method.
A meter scale is a one-meter long scale which is divided into 100 equal parts. Each part corresponds to 1 centimeter. One centimeter is again divided into 10 equal parts each corresponding to one millimeter. Meter scale usually has centimeter readings marked on one edge and inches are marked on the other edge.
The least count of a meter scale is one millimeter. Least count is defined as the smallest measurement that can be taken with the instrument. To measure the length of an object using meter scale we should place the meter scale along the object such that the zero mark of the meter scale coincides with one end of the object. Then the reading on the other end of the scale will give us the length of the object.
If the readings on the other end do not exactly coincide with any of the divisions on the meter scale, then we will take the reading by noting the marking nearer to the end of the object.
Hence the meter scale is used to measure the length.

The correct answer is option A.

Note:The meter scale has a limitation that lengths smaller than $1\,mm$ cannot be measured using a meter scale. For smaller measurements we have screw gauge vernier calipers etc. Least count of a Vernier caliper is $0.1\,mm$. Least count of a screw gauge is $0.01\,mm$ .