What does sensor mean?
Word: Sensor
Part of Speech: Noun
Meaning: Sensor means a device that notices a change such as heat, light, movement or sound, and sends out a signal about it.
Synonyms: detector
Sounds like: censor (another word with the very same sound; read the sentence before choosing)
How do you spell sensor?
Syllables: sen - sor
Tricky part: Sensor sounds exactly like censor, which begins with a c. Read the whole sentence before you decide which spelling it needs.
Watch out for: sencor, senssor
Memory tip: Picture the two s letters of sensor as two eyes watching a room: one at the very start and one in the middle, never side by side.
Sensor in a sentence
Example 1: The tap has a sensor, so water flows when you put your hands under it.
Example 2: A smoke sensor on the ceiling beeped when the toast burnt.
Example 3: The street lights switch on by themselves because a sensor detects darkness.
Fun Fact
Most smartphones contain an accelerometer, a tiny sensor that tells the phone which way up it is held so the screen can turn.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Twins
Choose the option that correctly fills both blanks:
1. The automatic door has a ___ that spots people walking towards it. 2. The film board asked the makers to ___ two scenes before the film could be shown to children.
a) 'censor' in both
b) sensor/censor
c) censor/sensor
d) 'sensor' in both
Show answer
b) sensor/censor. A device that senses is a sensor; cutting parts out of a film is to censor it.
Spellacadabra
Choose the correct option to make a meaningful word:
sens__
a) ur
b) er
c) or
d) ar
Show answer
c) or. Think of motor and monitor: this machine word also ends in -or.
Word Champ
Which of the following statements are true?
1. A motion sensor stores electricity for later use. 2. A thermometer measures how hot or cold something is. 3. A magnet pulls iron objects towards it.
a) only 1 and 3
b) only 2 and 3
c) all three
d) only 1 and 2
Show answer
b) only 2 and 3. A battery stores electricity; a motion sensor notices movement, so statement 1 is false.
Word Tally
You get 2 marks for each misspelt word you can spot in the list. How many marks can you score?
sensor, battery, switch, circit, magnet
a) 2
b) 4
c) 6
d) 8
Show answer
a) 2. Circuit has a u before its last i; it is the only slip, worth 2 marks.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. A sensor on a car's back bumper beeps when the car reverses. What is it most likely sensing?
a) how fast the wipers move
b) how close the car is to a wall
c) how much fuel is left
d) which song is playing
Show answer
b) how close the car is to a wall
2. Which machine is most likely to use a heat sensor?
a) a pencil sharpener
b) a paper fan
c) a fire alarm
d) a wooden chair
Show answer
c) a fire alarm
