For example, use a measuring stick if you’re trying to measure the length of something with a rigid straight edge. Rulers are best for short distances, while yard sticks are better for objects that are 1 to 3 feet (0. 30 to 0. 91 m) long. Use a rigid, retractable tape measure to measure large objects or spaces, like the width of a couch or the height of a room. Use soft measuring tape to measure curved or rounded objects, like the size of your wrist or the circumference of a hat.
If your measuring tool has 1 unnumbered line in between each inch, then the inches are divided into halves (½). In other words, two ½ inches add up to 1 inch. [3] X Research source If there are 3 unnumbered lines, the inches are broken down into quarters (¼). This means that four ¼ inches add up to 1 inch. [4] X Research source If there are 7 unnumbered lines, the inches are broken down into eighths (⅛). Eight ⅛ inches add up to 1 inch. [5] X Research source If there are 15 unnumbered lines, the inches are broken down into sixteenths (1/16). Sixteen 1/16 inches add up to 1 inch. [6] X Research source
If you look closely at your measuring tool, you may see a tiny bit of space between the “0” line and the edge of your tool. Be sure to always measure from the “0” line to ensure accurate measurements. If the starting edge of your tool is not marked with a “0,” measure from the line that’s closest to the end of your tool.
If you’re using a ruler or other measuring stick, make sure the stick lies flat against the edge of the object or line being measured. If you’re using measuring tape, wrap the tape around the entire distance being measured.
If your measurement ends exactly on a numbered line, use the number on that line as the whole inch value. For example, if the very last line of your measurement is the 8 line, then your measurement is exactly 8 inches. Remember that the numbered values on your measuring tool correspond to whole inches. The shorter, unnumbered lines in between the numbered values are fractions of an inch.
If your measurement ended exactly on a numbered line, you can skip this step.
For example, say you counted 3 unnumbered lines and your measuring tool has a total of 15 unnumbered lines between each inch. Your fraction would be 3 over 16 (since 15+1 =16). This is written as 3/16. If possible, simplify your fraction by dividing the top and bottom numbers by their common factors. For example, if your fraction is 12/16, you can simplify this to ¾ since 12 and 16 are both divisible by 4. If your original measurement ended exactly on a numbered line, you can skip this step since there is no extra fraction to add.
Skip this step if your measurement ended exactly on a numbered line, since there is no extra fraction to add.
The line you trace onto the paper should be the exact same length as the edge you want to measure. After tracing the edge, you can remove it from the paper. Make sure that you use white or light-colored paper so that you can clearly see the marks you make.
For example, if you’re using your thumb, lay your thumb horizontally on top of the line, with the bottom end of your thumb aligned with the starting point of the line. Then, use a pencil to mark the spot on the line where your thumb ends.
If the space after the last line is significantly smaller than the rest, use your eye to judge how much shorter that line is and estimate what fraction of an inch it represents. For instance, if the final space is about half as long as the others, count it as half an inch. Make sure that the measuring edge of your 1-inch object stays parallel to the line you traced.
Count the spaces in between lines, not the lines themselves. If there is an extra fraction of an inch at the end of your measurement, don’t forget to include it.
To convert inches to feet, divide the number of inches by 12. For example, if an object that’s 48 inches long, its length in feet is 4 ft. , since 48/12 = 4. If you get a decimal in your answer, you can take the decimal part and multiply it by 12 to convert the decimal back into inches. For example, if an object is 30 inches long, its length in feet is 2. 5 ft since 30/12 = 2. 5. Since . 5 x 12 = 6, the object’s length is 2 ft. 6 in.
To convert inches to yards, divide the number of inches by 36. For example, if an object measures 108 inches, its length is 3 yards, since 108/36 = 3. If you get a decimal in your answer, you can take the decimal part and multiply it by 36 to convert the decimal back into inches. For example, if an object measures 117 inches, its 3. 25 yards long since 117/36 = 3. 25. Since . 25 x 36 = 9, the object’s length is 3 yards, 9 inches.
To convert inches to miles, divide the number of inches by 63,360. For example, if an object measures 107,712 inches, its 1. 7 miles long since 107,712/63,360 = 1. 7. You don’t need to convert the decimal part back to inches since most people are used to seeing mile measurements with decimals in them.
To convert inches to millimeters, divide the number of inches by 0. 03937. For example, if an object measures 8 inches, its length is roughly 203. 2 millimeters, since 8/0. 03937 = 203. 2. You’ll usually get decimal answers when converting metric units to inches, or inches to metric units. For simplicity, you can round answers to show only one or two decimal places.
To convert inches to centimeters, divide the number of inches by 0. 3937. For example, if an object measures 10 inches, its length is roughly 25. 4 centimeters, since 10/0. 3937 = 25. 4.
To convert inches to meters, divide the number of inches by 39. 37. For example, if an object measures 95 inches, its length is roughly 2. 4 meters, since 95/39. 37 = 2. 4.
