One factor to improve the accuracy of a measurement is to choose the correct equipment.

For a length measurement, a ruler is often the best tool, but you may also need a set square to line the ruler up. See the photo below showing how to line up the edges of a 100g mass with a ruler:

A good comparison of choosing appropriate measuring equipment is between measuring equipment in cooking, and in a Physics lab.

• In cooking, people often make rough measurements using cups. While these measurements are suitable for cooking, they are not very accurate.
• In a Physics lab, we need better measurements than this so a measuring cylinder is a much better piece of equipment to use when measuring the volume of a liquid.