What is Narrowest?

S0-SA2-0268

Grade Level:

Pre-School – Class 2

All domains without exception

Definition

What is it?

The 'narrowest' refers to the smallest width or smallest distance across something. When we compare several things, the narrowest one is the one that has the least space from one side to the other.

Simple Example

Quick Example

Imagine you have three different lanes on a road. One lane is for cars, one is for bicycles, and one is just a small footpath. The footpath would be the narrowest because it has the least width, making it hard for anything big to pass through.

Worked Example

Step-by-Step

Let's find the narrowest object from a set of items with different widths:

1. We have a pencil box with a width of 5 cm.
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2. We have a school textbook with a width of 18 cm.
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3. We have a mobile phone with a width of 7 cm.
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4. We have a ruler with a width of 3 cm.
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5. To find the narrowest, we compare all the widths: 5 cm, 18 cm, 7 cm, and 3 cm.
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6. The smallest number among these widths is 3 cm.
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7. Therefore, the ruler is the narrowest object.

Answer: The ruler is the narrowest.

Why It Matters

Understanding 'narrowest' helps you compare sizes and make decisions in daily life. Engineers use this concept to design roads and bridges, while architects use it to plan room layouts and doors. Even fashion designers consider width when creating clothes!

Common Mistakes

MISTAKE: Confusing narrowest with shortest or thinnest. | CORRECTION: Narrowest specifically refers to the smallest width (side-to-side measurement), not height (shortest) or thickness (thinnest).

MISTAKE: Comparing objects without a common unit of measurement. | CORRECTION: Always make sure all measurements are in the same unit (e.g., all in cm or all in meters) before comparing them.

MISTAKE: Only looking at the first or last number in a list of measurements. | CORRECTION: You need to compare ALL the measurements to correctly identify the smallest (narrowest) one.

Practice Questions

Try It Yourself

QUESTION: Which of these is the narrowest? A pen (1 cm wide), a water bottle (8 cm wide), a lunchbox (15 cm wide). | ANSWER: The pen (1 cm wide)

QUESTION: Your dad is trying to park his auto-rickshaw. He sees three gaps: Gap A is 2.5 meters wide, Gap B is 2.8 meters wide, and Gap C is 2.2 meters wide. Which gap is the narrowest? | ANSWER: Gap C (2.2 meters wide)

QUESTION: A tailor has three pieces of fabric. Fabric P is 40 cm wide, Fabric Q is 0.5 meters wide, and Fabric R is 350 millimeters wide. Which fabric is the narrowest? (Hint: Convert all to the same unit first!) | ANSWER: Fabric R (350 millimeters, which is 35 cm, while P is 40 cm and Q is 50 cm)

MCQ

Quick Quiz

Which term describes the smallest distance across an object from one side to the other?

Longest

Heaviest

Narrowest

Tallest

The Correct Answer Is:

Narrowest specifically means having the smallest width, or the smallest distance from side to side. Longest refers to length, heaviest to weight, and tallest to height.

Real World Connection

In the Real World

When you use Google Maps or any navigation app in India, it often shows you the 'narrowest' lanes or streets that might be difficult for a car to pass through, suggesting alternative routes. City planners also consider the narrowest roads when designing traffic flow or planning for emergency vehicle access.

Key Vocabulary

Key Terms

WIDTH: The extent or measurement from side to side of something | COMPARE: To examine two or more things to find differences or similarities | MEASUREMENT: The size, length, or amount of something, found by measuring | DIMENSION: A measurable extent of some kind, such as length, breadth, depth, or height.

What's Next

What to Learn Next

Now that you understand 'narrowest', you can explore 'widest' and 'longest'. These concepts will help you further develop your understanding of comparing sizes and dimensions in the world around you!