Understanding measurement and motion is essential in science. This chapter will help describe the physical world accurately. This chapter introduces standard units, tools for measurement, and different types of motion. The following MCQs will test your knowledge of Class 6 Science Chapter 5 – Measurement of Length and Motion in a simple and engaging way.

In this Class 6 Science MCQ, students get MCQs, fill-in-the-blanks, and true or false questions, each with an answer.
MCQ Questions for Class 6 Science Chapter 5 Measurement of Length and Motion
Question 1: Which of the following is a standard unit of length in the metric system?
a) Inch
b) Foot
c) Metre
d) Yard
Answer:
c) Metre — The metre is the standard unit of length in the metric system.
Question 2: What is the basic unit of time in the SI system?
a) Minute
b) Hour
c) Second
d) Day
Answer:
c) Second — The second is the SI unit of time.
Question 3: Which of the following instruments is most commonly used to measure length?
a) Thermometer
b) Ruler or scale
c) Stopwatch
d) Barometer
Answer:
b) Ruler or scale — A ruler or scale is commonly used to measure length.
Question 4: Which type of motion does a simple pendulum show?
a) Rectilinear motion
b) Circular motion
c) Oscillatory motion
d) Random motion
Answer:
c) Oscillatory motion — A simple pendulum shows oscillatory motion.
Question 5: What is the SI unit of speed?
a) Metre per second
b) Kilometre per hour
c) Metre
d) Second
Answer:
a) Metre per second — The SI unit of speed is metre per second (m/s).
Question 6: Which device is used to measure short intervals of time?
a) Thermometer
b) Stopwatch
c) Meter scale
d) Compass
Answer:
b) Stopwatch — A stopwatch is used to measure short intervals of time.
Question 7: Which of the following is NOT a unit of length?
a) Metre
b) Kilogram
c) Centimetre
d) Millimetre
Answer:
b) Kilogram — Kilogram is a unit of mass, not length.
Question 8: Which motion is exhibited by the Earth around the Sun?
a) Rotational motion
b) Rectilinear motion
c) Circular motion
d) Oscillatory motion
Answer:
c) Circular motion — The Earth revolves around the Sun in circular motion.
Question 9: Which instrument is used to measure the length of a curved line?
a) Divider
b) Ruler
c) Compass
d) Thread
Answer:
a) Divider — A divider is used to measure the length of a curved line.
Question 10: The distance travelled by an object in a unit of time is called?
a) Velocity
b) Acceleration
c) Speed
d) Motion
Answer:
c) Speed — Speed is the distance travelled in unit time.
Question 11: The motion of a child on a swing is an example of?
a) Circular motion
b) Rectilinear motion
c) Oscillatory motion
d) Periodic motion
Answer:
c) Oscillatory motion — A swing shows oscillatory motion.
Question 12: Which of these is a periodic motion?
a) Motion of a car on a road
b) Motion of Earth on its axis
c) Motion of a rolling ball
d) Motion of clouds
Answer:
b) Motion of Earth on its axis — This is a periodic motion.
Question 13: Which of these is NOT an example of rectilinear motion?
a) Train moving on a straight track
b) Motion of a boy running on a straight road
c) Motion of the tip of a clock’s second hand
d) Car moving in a straight line
Answer:
c) Motion of the tip of a clock’s second hand — It shows circular motion.
Question 14: Which of the following is a non-standard unit of length?
a) Cubit
b) Metre
c) Centimetre
d) Millimetre
Answer:
a) Cubit — Cubit is a non-standard unit of length.
Question 15: Which of these instruments measures distance travelled by vehicles?
a) Speedometer
b) Odometer
c) Thermometer
d) Stopwatch
Answer:
b) Odometer — An odometer measures distance travelled by vehicles.
Question 16: The pendulum of a clock takes 2 seconds to complete one oscillation. Its time period is?
a) 1 second
b) 2 seconds
c) 3 seconds
d) 4 seconds
Answer:
b) 2 seconds — The time period is equal to the time taken for one oscillation.
Question 17: What kind of motion do the blades of a fan show?
a) Rectilinear motion
b) Rotational motion
c) Oscillatory motion
d) Periodic motion
Answer:
b) Rotational motion — The blades of a fan show rotational motion.
Question 18: Which of the following motions is both rectilinear and uniform?
a) A bus moving on a crowded road
b) A car moving in a circular track
c) A train moving on a straight track at constant speed
d) A child on a swing
Answer:
c) A train moving on a straight track at constant speed — This is uniform rectilinear motion.
Question 19: What is used to measure the thickness of a coin?
a) Measuring tape
b) Ruler
c) Divider
d) Vernier calipers
Answer:
d) Vernier calipers — Vernier calipers can measure the thickness of small objects like a coin.
Question 20: Which one of the following shows circular motion?
a) Motion of a stone dropped from a height
b) Motion of the Earth around the Sun
c) Motion of a person running on a straight track
d) Motion of clouds in the sky
Answer:
b) Motion of the Earth around the Sun — This is circular motion.
Question 21: Which of the following is a standard unit of length in the metric system?
a) Inch
b) Foot
c) Metre
d) Yard
Answer:
c) Metre — The metre is the standard unit of length in the metric system.
Question 22: Which instrument is commonly used to measure the length of a classroom?
a) Measuring tape
b) Ruler
c) Vernier calipers
d) Screw gauge
Answer:
a) Measuring tape — Measuring tape is suitable for measuring longer lengths like classrooms.
Question 23: Which is the smallest unit of length in the metric system?
a) Metre
b) Millimetre
c) Centimetre
d) Kilometre
Answer:
b) Millimetre — A millimetre is the smallest among these units of length.
Question 24: What should be avoided while measuring the length of an object using a scale?
a) Keeping the scale straight
b) Placing the scale on the object
c) Viewing from an angle
d) Starting from zero mark
Answer:
c) Viewing from an angle — This causes parallax error in measurement.
Question 25: The distance between two cities is usually measured in:
a) Metres
b) Centimetres
c) Kilometres
d) Millimetres
Answer:
c) Kilometres — Large distances like those between cities are measured in kilometres.
Question 26: Which of the following can measure the thickness of a coin most accurately?
a) Metre scale
b) Screw gauge
c) Measuring tape
d) Vernier calipers
Answer:
b) Screw gauge — A screw gauge measures very small thickness like that of a coin.
Question 27: What is the standard unit of length adopted by SI system?
a) Centimetre
b) Metre
c) Foot
d) Yard
Answer:
b) Metre — SI system uses metre as the standard unit of length.
Question 28: Which type of motion does the Earth show when it spins on its axis?
a) Rectilinear motion
b) Circular motion
c) Rotational motion
d) Oscillatory motion
Answer:
c) Rotational motion — Earth rotates on its axis, which is rotational motion.
Question 29: The motion of a pendulum is an example of:
a) Linear motion
b) Oscillatory motion
c) Random motion
d) Rotational motion
Answer:
b) Oscillatory motion — A pendulum swings back and forth, showing oscillatory motion.
Question 30: Which instrument is best suited to measure the girth of a tree?
a) Ruler
b) Vernier calipers
c) Measuring tape
d) Screw gauge
Answer:
c) Measuring tape — Flexible measuring tape is best to measure circular objects like tree girth.
Question 31: The distance travelled by light in vacuum in 1/299,792,458 second defines:
a) Centimetre
b) Metre
c) Kilometre
d) Nanometre
Answer:
b) Metre — Metre is defined based on the distance travelled by light in a fraction of a second.
Question 32: The motion of wheels of a bicycle is an example of:
a) Rotational motion
b) Linear motion
c) Oscillatory motion
d) Random motion
Answer:
a) Rotational motion — Bicycle wheels rotate around their axis.
Question 33: Which type of motion do soldiers exhibit in a parade?
a) Random motion
b) Linear motion
c) Circular motion
d) Oscillatory motion
Answer:
b) Linear motion — Soldiers march in straight lines showing linear motion.
Question 34: The motion of a spinning top is an example of:
a) Rectilinear motion
b) Rotational motion
c) Oscillatory motion
d) Random motion
Answer:
b) Rotational motion — A spinning top rotates around its axis.
Question 35: Which of the following cannot be measured directly using a metre scale?
a) Length of a desk
b) Thickness of a wire
c) Length of a book
d) Height of a student
Answer:
b) Thickness of a wire — Metre scale cannot accurately measure very thin objects.
Question 36: The motion of the moon around the Earth is an example of:
a) Rotational motion
b) Rectilinear motion
c) Circular motion
d) Oscillatory motion
Answer:
c) Circular motion — Moon revolves around the Earth in circular motion.
Question 37: Which instrument is used to measure the diameter of a spherical object like a cricket ball?
a) Screw gauge
b) Vernier calipers
c) Ruler
d) Tape
Answer:
b) Vernier calipers — Best suited to measure diameter of spherical objects.
Question 38: What is the motion of the blades of a fan when switched on?
a) Random motion
b) Rotational motion
c) Oscillatory motion
d) Linear motion
Answer:
b) Rotational motion — Fan blades rotate about the central axis.
Question 39: A child on a swing shows which type of motion?
a) Circular motion
b) Random motion
c) Oscillatory motion
d) Rotational motion
Answer:
c) Oscillatory motion — Swinging back and forth is oscillatory motion.
Question 40: Which motion is exhibited by a train moving on a straight track?
a) Oscillatory motion
b) Random motion
c) Rectilinear motion
d) Rotational motion
Answer:
c) Rectilinear motion — Train moves in a straight line showing rectilinear motion.
Fill in the Blanks Questions for Class 6 Science Chapter 5 Measurement of Length and Motion
1. The SI unit of length is ___.
Answer:
Metre
2. The distance travelled by an object in a unit time is called ___.
Answer:
Speed
3. The SI unit of time is ___.
Answer:
Second
4. A simple pendulum shows ___ motion.
Answer:
Oscillatory motion
5. The device used to measure short intervals of time is a ___.
Answer:
Stopwatch
6. A train moving on a straight track at constant speed shows ___ motion.
Answer:
Uniform rectilinear motion
7. The motion of the blades of a fan is an example of ___ motion.
Answer:
Rotational motion
8. The instrument used to measure the length of a curved line is a ___.
Answer:
Divider
9. The device in vehicles that measures the distance travelled is called ___.
Answer:
Odometer
10. The time taken to complete one oscillation by a pendulum is called its ___.
Answer:
Time period
True or False Questions for Class 6 Science Chapter 5 “Measurement of Length and Motion”
1. Body parts like handspan are reliable standard units of measurement because they are the same for all people.
Answer:
False – Body parts differ from person to person.
2. The SI unit of length is metre, and one metre is divided into 100 equal divisions called centimetres.
Answer:
True
3. A millimetre is equal to one-tenth of a centimetre.
Answer:
True
4. A rigid metre scale is the most suitable tool for measuring the girth of a tree trunk.
Answer:
False – A flexible measuring tape is more suitable.
5. If a scale has a broken or unclear zero mark, it cannot be used for measurement at all.
Answer:
False – Any other full mark can be used instead.
6. When measuring the length of a pencil using a scale, the correct eye position is directly above the tip of the pencil, not at an angle.
Answer:
True
7. An object is said to be in motion only if its position changes with respect to a reference point with time.
Answer:
True
8. The same passengers sitting inside a moving bus can be considered both at rest and in motion depending on the reference point chosen.
Answer:
True
9. The motion of a merry-go-round is an example of oscillatory motion.
Answer:
False – A merry-go-round shows circular motion.
10. Both circular motion and oscillatory motion are periodic in nature, as they repeat their path after a fixed interval of time.
Answer:
True
11. The unit symbols km, m, cm, and mm should be written with a capital letter and followed by ‘s’ when plural.
Answer:
False – They are lowercase and never pluralised.
12. Ancient Indian measurement units like angula and yojana were used only in literature and never in actual construction or architecture.
Answer:
False – They were used in architecture and town planning.
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