How it works
This measurement centimeters worksheet prints bars above a drawn centimeter ruler. Each bar starts at the 0 mark, and the pupil reads its length at the other end. Other sheets go on to half centimeters and millimeters.
Read the full guide
Read the ruler on the page, not a real one
The ruler is printed in each problem, so the answer never depends on your printer's scale. The drawings are not life size: do not lay a real ruler over them. Start with whole centimeters, where every bar ends on a number.
Halves, then millimeters
On the half sheets a small mark sits between each pair of numbers, and the key writes 4 1/2 cm. The millimeter sheets cut each centimeter into 10, with a longer mark at the 5: two small marks past the 3 is 3.2 cm, or 32 mm.
- Every bar starts at the 0 mark, not at the edge of the ruler. Point that out before pupils pick up a real one.
- Centimeters to millimeters: times 10 needs only the ten times table, so it can come before the millimeter rulers.
Questions and answers
How do you measure in centimeters?
Line the 0 mark up with one end of the object and read the number at the other end. If the end falls between two numbers, count the small marks past the last number: each one is a millimeter, a tenth of a centimeter.
How many millimeters are in a centimeter?
Ten. A centimeter is one hundredth of a meter and a millimeter is one thousandth, so 1 cm is 10 mm and 3.2 cm is 32 mm.
What grade measures in centimeters?
Common Core has grade 2 measure and estimate lengths in whole inches, feet, centimeters and meters. Reading millimeters as tenths of a centimeter fits later, once decimals are taught, which Common Core starts in grade 4.
Does the centimeters worksheet come with an answer key?
Yes. The key prints as the last page with every length filled in. To print the sheet alone, untick Answer key before you press Print.