Is a protractor a tool used to measure sides?

Answer 1

A simple ruler measures sides. A protractor does so much more than a simple ruler! A protractor can be used on both sides (with numbers facing you, or turned over). A protractor can be turned upside down. A protractor lets you draw points for measurements and then construct a visual representation when you connect those points. For example, lay the protractor on paper with the flat line down, the half circle up. Make a dot or small ' at the middle. Without moving the protractor, make another dot halfway between the mid-point and the bottom of the protractor. Make another end point at the corner of the protractor. Lift up the protractor and using the flat side, draw a line between the dots or marks you made. What shape did you make?

One use of protractors: Deeds for land give feet and perches for each "line" around a property (land). A piece of property is rarely ever square. It may have small sections that stick out or are cut back from the main line. A property can be any shape. Knowing how to use a protractor, and knowing how to scale down the measurements, you can mark out the points for each line. This can show you the shape of your ancestor's land as it looked in say, 1792, or 1830 (depends on the date of the deed).

Learn to play with your protractor. Ask your teacher to show you how you can flip it over to do a different shape. Learn how to scale--- such as 1 inch of your work/drawing equals 10 measured feet. (A scale just needs to be consistent.) Measure your classroom, then make it a 1-inch per each 10 feet. So if one side of your classroom is 20 feet long, your picture for that side would be 2-inches long. Say the width of your classroom is 30 feet wide, so your lines for width would be 3-inches.

There's ALL kinds of ways to use and many uses for a protractor. Become curious and see what this small tool can do!