The second-biggest unit on a ruler is the 1/2 inch, which is represented by the second-longest line. Each 1-inch line is labeled with a number indicating what inch it is on the ruler (as the image above shows).Įxample: If you were to measure the length of a sheet of computer paper, the piece of paper would come up to the 11-inch mark on your ruler, indicating that it's exactly 11 inches long.
![ruler in inches ruler in inches](https://printableruleractualsize.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/worksheets-for-identifying-specific-points-on-an-imperial-1.jpg)
The inch is the biggest unit on a ruler and is represented by the longest line. (Note that some rulers only go down to 1/8 inch lines, whereas others go down to 1/32 inch lines.) There are five different lengths of lines in total.Įach inch is divided into 16 lines, meaning that the space between each line is 1/16 inch long -this is the smallest length you can measure with a ruler. Each of these tiny lines represents a fraction of an inch. Now, notice the lines between each inch, with some longer and some shorter than others. Right away, you should be able to tell that this ruler uses inches, as it’s divided into 12 equally spaced areas (labeled 1-12), and we know there are 12 inches in a foot (ignore the cm below).
#Ruler in inches how to
If you’re American, this is the measurement you probably know better than centimeters, which are sometimes included on your standard 12-inch, or 1-foot, ruler (we’ll go over how to read a ruler in cm in the next section). Let’s start by looking at how to read a ruler in inches. While we will be providing pictures you can use to follow our instructions, we recommend getting out your own ruler or measuring tape so you can follow along in real time. Meanwhile, centimeters are part of the metric system, which is used around the world in both everyday life and science. Inches correspond to the imperial system, which is the main measuring system used in the US and a smattering of other countries. There are two types of rulers you can use: the inch, or imperial, ruler and the centimeter, or metric, ruler. It’s pretty obvious that knowing how to read a ruler is important to not just your grades in school but also your day-to-day life. For instance, what if you make two pieces of something that don’t fit together because one is shorter or longer than it was supposed to be? Or what if you mess up a science experiment because you didn’t accurately read the measurement of a piece of string you cut? And if you don’t know how to read a ruler, then you’ll likely suffer some consequences. The truth is that there are tons of moments in life when you’ll need to know how to read a ruler. Or what if you wanted to frame a photo you have? In this case, you might have to measure the picture to see what kind of frame it would fit in. Knowing how to read a ruler is important, not just for school but also for daily life.įor example, if you wanted to make something out of construction paper, you'd likely need to use a ruler to measure out how much of the material you would need. We’ll also provide you with some helpful resources you can use to keep honing your ruler-reading skills. In this guide, we’ll explain why you should know how to read a ruler and give you step-by-step instructions on how to read a ruler in inches and cm. There are so many lines on a ruler, it can get confusing to figure out what they all mean. If there are 100 the smallest graduation or mark is 1/100" or 0.01" as a decimal, etc.Rulers are an essential tool to have, but if you’re struggling with how to read a ruler, you're not alone. If there are 10 the smallest graduation or mark is 1/10” or 0.1” as a decimal.
![ruler in inches ruler in inches](https://i5.walmartimages.com/asr/8241e440-84e2-4d2f-8cef-eb6baf7a76f6_1.de1546828637cfe5e007c8ce7b8667b8.jpeg)
Simply count the number of spaces between graduations or marks contained within a single inch. If a ruler has no legend the smallest graduation of an inch will have to be calculated.
![ruler in inches ruler in inches](https://iroocca.com/image/catalog/blogs/rulers/inches_ruler_part9.png)
The ruler below has a legend of 100 which indicates that the smallest graduation or mark is 0.01" (1/100").
![ruler in inches ruler in inches](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/81R-6m065mL._SL1500_.jpg)
Often you will encounter rulers that do not have a legend which identifies what decimal of an inch is utilized on the scale. In the drawing below, we show a ruler with graduations or marks of 0.1" (1/10") and 0.01" (1/100"). We discuss here, Decimal Rulers based on the English measurement system of Inches.ĭecimal Rulers utilizing inches normally have marks or graduations of 0.1" (1/10") and 0.01" (1/100)", some rulers may also have 0.020" (1/50") graduations. Decimal Rulers have graduations or marks which are based on the decimal system such as 0.1, 0.01, etc.ĭecimal Rulers can be based on any measuring system but are usually based on either the English measurement system inches (in) or the Metric measurement system of millimeters (mm), centimeters (cm) and meters (m). Fractional Rulers have graduations or marks based on fractions, for example 1/2", 1/4" 1/8", 1/16", etc. There are two types of scales commonly used on rulers Fractional and Decimal.