How to Measure Without a Ruler: 8 Steps (with Pictures) - wikiHow (2024)

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1Comparing to Everyday Objects

2Measuring with Your Body

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Reviewed byGrace Imson, MA

Last Updated: June 21, 2024References

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When it comes to everyday life, people don’t usually carry around rulers in their purses and pockets. However, sometimes you might need to take a quick measurement of something and don’t have a ruler on hand. With a little ingenuity or a good memory, you can still measure things like a pro, and impress all your friends with your resourcefulness to boot!

Ways to Measure Without a Ruler

Compare the item you’re measuring to an everyday object, like a dollar bill, quarter, or credit card. A standard-size sheet of paper can also be helpful. Alternatively, measure the item against a body part like your hand or arm. Your shoe size can be helpful for measuring long distances, as well.

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Comparing to Everyday Objects

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  1. 1

    Check your wallet for currency to use as a mini ruler. All US and EU currency is a standard size. Keep in mind that not all euro banknotes have the same dimensions.

    • All US bills are 2.61 inches (6.6cm), or roughly 6 inches (15cm).[1]
    • A US quarter is .96 inches (2.4cm) long, or roughly 1 inch (2.5cm).[2]
    • A 5 euro bill is 120 millimetres (4.7in) long, and a 50 euro bill is 140 millimetres (5.5in) long and about 3 inches (76mm) wide.[3]
  2. 2

    Pull out a credit card or business card to use as a rough guide. You can measure objects by placing the card alongside the object. Then compare the size of the card to the size of the object.

    • A standard credit card is 3.375 inches (8.57cm) long.[4]
    • A standard business card is 3.5 inches (8.9cm) long and 2 inches (5.1cm) wide.[5]

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  3. 3

    Find a sheet of printer paper. Standard US and Canadian printer paper is 8.5 inches (22cm) by 11 inches (28cm). Standard printer paper outside of the US and Canada is 210 millimetres (8.3in) by 297 millimetres (11.7in).[6]

  4. 4

    Print out an online ruler. There are many basic templates that can be found online. This is an easy solution, but will only work if you have access to a printer.

  5. 5

    Use the sheet of printing paper as a makeshift measuring tool. If you don't have access to a printer and the piece of printer paper isn't standard sized, the paper can still be useful if you determine its size. The dimensions of printer paper can often be found on the front of its packaging. Then, compare the size of that paper with the object you're measuring.

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Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Measuring with Your Body

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  1. 1

    Know your hand length and hand span. Your hands are always handy. Knowing the size of your palm and fingers can make it easy to measure small objects of various sizes.

    • To find your hand length, hold your hand flat like you are raising your hand, then measure from the tip of your third finger to the base of your palm.
    • To find your hand span, stretch your fingers as wide as possible then measure from the tip of your thumb to the tip of your pinkie.
  2. 2

    Remember your shoe size. This is more helpful for measuring out longer distances, like the dimensions of a room. By running a search online for shoe size conversion charts, you can easily convert your shoe size to inches and centimeters.

    • Your shoe size can also sometimes be located on the tongue, or the inner topmost part of your shoe.[7]
  3. 3

    Learn your arm span or height. These two measurements should be roughly the same. Using those measurements, you can measure things vertically by standing straight, or horizontally by simply stretching your arms out.

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      About This Article

      How to Measure Without a Ruler: 8 Steps (with Pictures) - wikiHow (26)

      Reviewed by:

      Grace Imson, MA

      Math Teacher

      This article was reviewed by Grace Imson, MA. Grace Imson is a math teacher with over 40 years of teaching experience. Grace is currently a math instructor at the City College of San Francisco and was previously in the Math Department at Saint Louis University. She has taught math at the elementary, middle, high school, and college levels. She has an MA in Education, specializing in Administration and Supervision from Saint Louis University. This article has been viewed 147,019 times.

      59 votes - 50%

      Co-authors: 3

      Updated: June 21, 2024

      Views:147,019

      Categories: Measuring and Marking Tools

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      Reader Success Stories

      • How to Measure Without a Ruler: 8 Steps (with Pictures) - wikiHow (27)

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        Sep 2, 2023

        "I am a caregiver and forgot my ruler to measure a piece l am crocheting. It's a long shift and it's..." more

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      How to Measure Without a Ruler: 8 Steps (with Pictures) - wikiHow (2024)

      FAQs

      How to measure 8 inches without a ruler? ›

      Pull out a credit card or business card to use as a rough guide. You can measure objects by placing the card alongside the object. Then compare the size of the card to the size of the object.

      How can I measure myself without a measurer? ›

      Or, approximate lengths using your hand and arm. The distance from your first knuckle to the end of your fingertip is about 1 inch, the distance across your palm underneath the fingers is about 4 inches, and the distance from elbow to fingertips is about 18 inches. However, these approximations vary on each body.

      What is the easiest way to measure? ›

      An easy way to measure without a tape measure is to use your cash. A plain old dollar bill is exactly 6.14 inches long and 2.61 inches tall, but you can simply round those down to the nearest half-inch. You can also fold it into sixths to create a makeshift ruler – here's a quick visual guide that shows how to do it.

      How to measure a meter without a ruler? ›

      A meter can be measured using the same technique, but using an outstretched hand. Measure from your nose to the end of your fingers with your hand outstretched to approximate a full meter. Your outstretched arms from thumb tip to thumb tip are a good way to measure a longer distance.

      What can you measure with your hand? ›

      Fist = 1 cup

      You can use this tool when measuring the intake of rice, cereals, salads, fruits, or popcorn. 1 hand cupped is equivalent to a 1/2 cup serving. You can use this tool for measuring food items such as pastas, potatoes, nuts, and even ice cream. A Cupped Hand = 1/2 cup The Palm = 3 oz.

      Is your thumb an inch? ›

      In many other European languages, the word for "inch" is the same as or derived from the word for "thumb", as a man's thumb is about an inch wide (and this was even sometimes used to define the inch).

      What can I use to measure myself? ›

      First thing, you need to grab something to measure with. In a perfect world, you'll have a sewing tape measure or a tailor's tape measure to hand. If not – don't fret. There are other alternatives, the most common of which is a piece of string.

      What are 3 things you can measure with? ›

      These are the most commonly used tools for measurement:
      • Rulers.
      • Tape measures.
      • Yard sticks.
      • Meter sticks.
      Oct 4, 2023

      What is the simplest measuring tool? ›

      Squares and Rulers

      While squares allow you to accurately gauge the angle between two surfaces, rulers are a simple tool you can use to measure the distance between two points or to draw a perfectly straight line.

      What is the simplest measurement? ›

      Nominal Scale:

      It is the simplest form of measurement i.e. it helps in just identifying. Categorical data are measured on nominal scales which merely assign labels to distinguish categories.

      How to measure meters in footsteps? ›

      Take a measuring tape and measure a distance of 10 metres. Then walk in normal mode and count the number of steps done. Just multiply by 10. The resulting number will be number of steps done by your feet.

      How do you measure an 8 inch screen? ›

      Measure the screen diagonally

      Take your tape measure and run it diagonally across the screen itself – being careful not to include the bezel.

      What does 1 8 of an inch look like on a ruler? ›

      The 1/8 of an inch marks are the smaller marks found directly in between the 1/4 of an inch marks on the ruler. Between 0 and 1 inch, there are marks that denote 1/8, 1/4 (or 2/8), 3/8, 1/2 (or 4/8), 5/8, 6/8 (or 3/4), 7/8, and 1 (or 8/8) of an inch.

      How to measure room size with phone? ›

      Download Google Measure from the Google Play store, then launch the app and give it permission to use your camera and phone storage. Google Measure works with any ARCore compatible Android devices, such as Pixel smartphones, Nokia 6+ smartphones, and most LG and Samsung smartphones running Android 8.0 and higher.

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