Desperate MeasuresSuitable for ages 8 upwards Everything can be measured, and this book tells you how to do it. Length, area, volume, weight, time, density, curry stains, speed... they're all in here. Ever wondered how to:
This book's got the lot. Of course we also see what happens when Pongo serves Veronica with rocket fuel soup and how Dolly Snowlips causes the gangsters to lose their trousers. There's a Gollark invasion, a couple of diabolical Professor Fiendish traps and the big feature film stars Archimedes in "A Question of Principle". Don't forget to click the EXTRA links for more details that we didn't have room for in the books! CONTENTS:
Don't Mess With MeasurementsWhen you're first born they weigh you, and when you depart they measure you for a box. In fact right through your life you can't escape measurements, so it's as well to know all about them. We also find out what happens when Blade Boccelli and the boys use an elastic rope and end up doing a stretch.
How Long Is A Line?Simple measurements, getting the right units and rounding off. There's even a selection of rulers to use giving measurements in everything from Angstroms to Light Years.
Pecks Palms Pints and Pennyweights... or how many hands does a horse need?Why old fashioned measurements are murderous, why we should all appreciate the French, and the ridiculous but true story of why a multi-million dollar space craft went missing.
Metres for EverythingThis section explains how to write ANY length in metres using the SI system,
and how calculators display fabulously big numbers. We also find how a tiny "-"
sign saves Earth from the Evil Gollarks.
Big Things, Trundles and the Ten Tonne RulerHow to measure large or awkward objects using shadow sticks, dividers and a friend called Bertie.
How many Metres are There on the Head of a Pin?A strange little chapter about dimensions - and be careful because you might accidentally chop a teacher in half!
The Sealed Box ProblemProfessor Fiendish has got you in a diabolical trap - to escape you have to find the length of the longest stick you can fit into a sealed rectangular box. Does it involve lots of measurements and nasty sums? No, just a sneaky trick if you can spot it!
Do You Shape Up?You'll feel dead clever after you've scored 100% on this dead simple test of all the different shapes including "irregular trapeziums". Then you'll be ready for anything...
From Squares to Curry StainsThe Colonel and Duchess are sitting down
to dinner as we investigate how to measure all sorts of different areas. Sadly
it all gets a bit awkward, but hey, that's Murderous Maths for you. We even
discover a mathematical spell to make it stop raining.
Weight - and why nearly everybody makes a MASSIVE mistakeWhat happens to your weight in outer space, and how to weigh a dead fly.
Spangled, Tangled and Dangled AnglesPongo and Veronica demonstrate degrees, Professor Fiendish tries to trap you on a cliff top and what are "grads" and "radians"?
Lumps, Bumps and a Question of PrinciplePongo McWhiffy accidentally makes rocket fuel soup as we discover how to measure the volume of an elephant. There's also the story of Archimedes and the cheating goldsmith set out as a superb full length cartoon feature. It's the best thing you'll ever see in a maths book. See a preview here!
How Dense Are You?How density works, why some things float and others sink, and then our second cartoon feature which gives the unexpected Part 2 of the Archimedes story.
Why Time Is Out Of ControlTime is the one measurement we didn't make - instead it was given to us. For
thousands of years people have tried to make an exact number of days and months
fit into a year, but to no avail. So how did calendars develop, why did the
ancient Aztecs have human sacrifices every 52 years and
why did absolutely nothing at all happen in England on Sept 7th 1752?
EXTRA - Use the Time Calculator to subtract two times. It's weird!
From Watts to WeatherThere are hundreds of different units to measure almost everything you can
think of. Just for interest some are listed here including decibels, horsepower,
candelas and just in case you're timing your granny....speed.
The Saddest Measurement of All...and what happens when you put egg and sprout broth in a space rocket. Whoops!
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