What are Unit Measurements
A unit of measurement refers to a standard quantity used to express or measure physical quantity such as length, weight (mass), temperature, area, volume, distance, etc. These units of measurement are particularly used to measure quantities of the same unit or type.
However, a unit design for measuring particular types of measurement cannot be used to express or measure others. For instance, a standard unit that measures length cannot be used for weight and the unit that measures weight cannot be used to measure temperature.
Agricultural involves the use of different types of measurement units across different types of farming operations, From land survey to marketing there are a lot of measurements to be done. Agriculture mathematics helps agricultural stakeholders become acquainted with unit measurement and conversion knowledge.
Examples of measurement instruments used in agriculture include measuring tape, weighting scale, meter rule, protractor, thermometer, hydrometer, ruler, and more.
The units of measurement in agriculture are universal, that is they are usually accepted and used across the globe. However, local measuring instruments are used in some particular places and their measurement also aligns with the standard unit of measurement. For example, In Nigeria “mudu” and “paint rubber” are measuring instruments used by retail farmers to measure volume but also correspond with globally accepted units of measurement.
Users of agricultural measurement such as farmers, wholesalers, retailers, teachers, manufacturers, and processors need to have adequate knowledge of measurement and apply unit conversions to maximum profit, ensuring accurate measurement to ensure fairness, prevent cheating or sharp practices, convey value to agricultural stakeholder, ensure appropriate decision making in the farm, and ensure quality.
Importance of Unit Measurements in Agriculture
The importance of unit measurements in agriculture cannot be overemphasized in the agricultural industries. Some of the benefits of Unit Measurements in Agriculture are:
- Prevent Cheating and Sharp Practices: unit measurement in agriculture helps to prevent cheating and sharp practices. Due to the human nature to convert and acquire everything, the uses of measuring units ensure fairness and prevent dishonesty in transactions, helping individuals have a fair share of accurate measurement of products and services.
- Precision and accuracy in Measurement: accuracy is one of the important reasons for using the unit of measurement. It prevents users from community errors due to omission and commission. Measurements done using this standard unit of measurement are universally accepted globally.
- Communicate Value: The agricultural measuring unit helps to convey value to Agricultural Stakeholders. Measurement instruments such as measuring taps, weight scales, Meter rules, and more contain various values that help agricultural stakeholders communicate the value of goods and materials accurately.
- Help in Decision Making: information from units of measurement in the agricultural industries helps stakeholders, and policymakers to make quality decisions about food production, and resource allocation and prevent food insecurity.
- Compares between Quantities: comparing quantities between known and unknown is possible with the use of the unit of measurement. Activities in agriculture involve conversion from one unit to another. In agriculture, for instance, unit measurement helps to convert from Acre to hectare to ensure proper land utilization in food production.
- Ensure quality: product and food production requires appropriate units of measurement to ensure quality in manufacturing and production. Raw materials used in production need better measurement to ensure quality
Example of Units of Measurement in Agriculture
Some examples of units of Measurement
in Agriculture are discussed below.
- Length: this is a unit of measurement used to measure an object from one end to another. It is used to measure straight, breadth, height, and depth Examples of this type of unit of measurement in agriculture include Inches, feet, centimeters, meters, kilometers, yards, and miles.
- Weight: this type of measurement unit helps measure an object’s heaviness. Examples of this measurement include Ounces, pounds, grams, and kilograms.
- Temperature: this unit of measurement is used to determine the coldness or hotness of an object. Examples of units of temperature of measurement are Degrees Fahrenheit, degrees Celsius
- Volume: this type of unit of measurement is used to measure the quantity of solid or liquid an object can hold. Examples of volume units of measurement are Ounces, cups, pints, quarts, gallons, milliliters, liters, and kiloliters.
- Metric system: this is a unit of measurement used to measure various types of measurement such as volume, length, and area. Examples of this type of unit of measurement in agriculture include millimeters, centimeters, meters, and kilometers
- Imperial system: this is a unit of measurement used in some countries measuring straight, breadth, height, and depth. Examples of this type of unit of measurement in agriculture include inches, feet, yards, and miles
- International System of Units (SI): this type of measurement is used to measure the flow of currents, temperature, and light intensity e.g., Uses meters, kilograms, seconds, amperes, kelvins, moles, and candelas.