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Home / How to Read a Ruler in Decimals

How to Read a Ruler in Decimals

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If all the unlike lines on a ruler are leaving you perplexed, don't worry! Reading a ruler is really elementary once you know what you're doing. At that place are two types of rulers: the inch ruler, which has 12 big numbers on it (1 for each inch), and the metric ruler, which has 30 big numbers on it (one for each centimeter). We'll walk you through the basics of each type of ruler. Then, taking measurements will be a cakewalk.

  1. i

    Get an inch ruler. You'll know it's an inch ruler because it will accept 12 lines that denote inches on the ruler. 12 inches equals ane foot (0.305 m). Each foot is broken down into inches. Each inch is broken down into 15 smaller marks, equaling 16 marks in total for each inch on the ruler.[1]

    • The longer the line on the surface of the ruler, the bigger the measurement is. Ranging from ane inch to ane/sixteen of an inch, the lines decrease in size as the unit of measurement does.
    • Make sure y'all read the ruler from left to right. If yous are measuring something, marshal it with the left side of the zero mark on the ruler. The left side of the line where the object ends volition be its measurement in inches.

  2. two

    Learn the inch marks. A ruler is made up of 12 inch marks. These are typically the numbered marks on the ruler and are denoted by the longest lines on the ruler. For example, if you need to measure a nail, identify one end direct on the left side of the ruler. If it ends direct in a higher place the long line side by side to the large number 5, then the nail is 5 inches long.

    • Some rulers will also announce 1/2 inches with numbers, and so make sure yous are using the largest numbers with the longest lines as your inch markers.

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  3. 3

    Learn the i/2 inch marks. The 1/two inch marks will be the 2d longest lines on the ruler, one-half as long every bit the inch marks. Each ane/two inch mark will come midway between each inch number because it is half of an inch. This ways that marks directly betwixt the 0 and 1 inch, ane and 2 inches, 2 and three inches, and so on across the ruler, are the 1/2 inch marks. In total, in that location are 24 of these marks on a 12 inch ruler.[2]

    • For example, identify the ruler against a pencil with the eraser at the far left of the ruler. Marker where the tip of the pencil lead ends on the ruler. If the pencil betoken ends at the shorter line halfway between the four and 5 inches marks, then your pencil is 4 and ane/two inches long.

  4. 4

    Larn the 1/4 of an inch marks. Halfway in between each 1/ii inch line, there volition be a smaller line that denotes a i/4 of an inch. In the first inch, these marks will mark ane/4, one/2, iii/4, and 1 inch. Although the 1/2 inch and 1 inch marks have their ain lines, they are still part of the one/iv of an inch measurements because 2/4 of an inch equals one-half an inch and 4/4 of an inch equals 1 inch. There are a total of 48 of these marks on a 12 inch ruler.[3]

    • For example, if you measure a carrot and the tip falls on the line halfway between the half dozen 1/2 and seven inch lines, the carrot is 6 and iii/4 inches long.

  5. 5

    Learn the one/8 of an inch marks. The 1/8 of an inch marks are the smaller marks establish directly in betwixt the 1/iv of an inch marks on the ruler. Between 0 and 1 inch, there are marks that denote 1/8, 1/iv (or ii/viii), three/8, 1/2 (or four/8), 5/8, 6/8 (or 3/four), seven/eight, and one (or 8/eight) of an inch. In full, there are 96 of these marks on a 12 inch ruler.[iv]

    • For instance, yous measure a piece of fabric and the edge falls on the sixth line afterward the 4 inch mark, which is directly in between the ane/iv of an inch mark and the ane/2 inch marker. This means that your fabric is 4 and 3/8 inches long.

  6. 6

    Learn the 1/16 of an inch marks. The small-scale lines halfway between each 1/eight of an inch announce 1/16 of an inch. These are also the smallest lines on the ruler. The very first line on the left mitt side of the ruler is the 1/sixteen of an inch mark. Betwixt 0 and i inch, in that location are marks that denote 1/16, two/16 (or 1/8), 3/16, 4/16 (or ane/4), five/sixteen, 6/16 (or iii/8), 7/16, 8/xvi (or ane/2), 9/sixteen, x/sixteen (or five/8), 11/16, 12/xvi (3/4), xiii/sixteen, 14/sixteen (or 7/8), 15/xvi, 16/16 (or 1) of an inch. There are a full of 192 of these lines on the ruler.[5]

    • For example, you measure out a flower stem and the end of the stalk falls on the 11th line after the v inch mark. The bloom stalk is v and eleven/16 inches long.
    • Non every ruler will have the 1/16 inch mark. If you plan on measuring things that are pocket-sized or you lot demand to be extremely accurate, make sure the ruler you utilize has these marks.

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  1. 1

    Go a metric ruler. A metric ruler is based on the International Arrangement of Units (SI), sometimes called the metric system, and is divded into either millimeters or centimeters instead of inches. Rulers are often 30 centimeters long, which are designated past big numbers on the ruler. Between each centimeter (cm) mark, there should be 10 smaller marks called millimeters (mm).

    • Make certain you read the ruler from left to right. If y'all are measuring an object, align it with the left side of the goose egg mark on the ruler. The left side of the line where the object ends will be its measurement in centimeters. This way the line thickness will not affect the measurement.
    • Unlike with the English language ruler, the measurements for the metric ruler are written in decimals instead of fractions. For example, 1/2 a centimeter is written as 0.5 cm. [half-dozen]

  2. ii

    Acquire the centimeter marks. The big numbers next to the longest lines on the ruler denote the centimeter marks. A metric ruler has xxx of these marks. For example, place the bottom of a crayon on the far left side of the ruler to measure information technology. Notation where the tip falls. If the crayon ends straight on the long line next to the large number 14, your crayon is exactly 14cm long.[7]

  3. 3

    Acquire the 1/2 of a centimeter marks. Halfway between each centimeter, there is a slightly shorter line that denotes 1/ii of a centimeter, or 0.5cm. There are a total of lx of these marks on a 30 cm ruler.[viii]

    • For case, you mensurate a push button and the edge ends on the fifth line right betwixt the 1 and ii centimeter marks. Your button is one.5cm long.
    • For example, to measure 0.6 cm, count 1 thick line (5 mm) and one thin line (1 mm).

  4. four

    Acquire the millimeter marks. Between each 0.5cm line, there are four additional lines that denote the millimeter marks. In that location are a total of x lines per centimeter, with the 0.5cm line acting as the v millimeter marker, making each centimeter 10mm long. There are 300 millimeter marks on a 30 cm ruler.[9]

    • For example, if you lot mensurate a slice of paper and it ends on the 7th marking between the 24 and 25 centimeter marking, it means your object is 247mm, or 24.7cm, long.

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Add New Question

  • Question

    What is 55.5? Is that larger than 55 1/four?

    Community Answer

    The 55.five is larger than 55 1/4. the .5 on the 55.v would equal 1/2. Therefore, 55.v is equal to 55 i/2 which is ane/4" larger than 55 1/4.

  • Question

    Tin I acquire to read a ruler in one day?

    Community Answer

    Yeah, but it really depends on what type of ruler you want to learn as well as how fast you pick upward new material

  • Question

    What does it hateful when mm is shown just abreast the 0 in a ruler?

    Community Answer

    Each small-scale line represents 1mm. Therefore, the first line past the big number (for instance 25) will correspond 25.1cm or 251mm.

  • Question

    Where tin I find the centimeter markers on a ruler?

    Community Answer

    The centimeters side is normally the office of the ruler where the markers are shorter and closer together. It reads cm, and has more numbers.

  • Question

    What does 0.75 cm look like?

    Community Answer

    It's in the middle between the 7th and 8th millimeter lines in a centimeter. In other words, it ends in the middle of the 2d half of a centimeter.

  • Question

    Is 7/8 larger than one inch?

    Community Answer

    vii/eight is smaller than 1 inch. 1 inch represents a whole, while 7/8 represents 7 parts of a whole (8 parts).

  • Question

    Is 12 inches longer than a foot? I am feeling stumped past this.

    Community Answer

    They're the same 12in = 1ft.

  • Question

    Why at that place is a infinite at the beginning of a ruler?

    Community Answer

    Some lower quality rulers take spaces at the kickoff to make the rulers easier to use. Higher quality rulers are oft made of non-elastic materials similar steel or aluminum, and their markings start without any space.

  • Question

    Is 5.5 mm closer to a half inch or a quarter inch?

    Community Answer

    A quarter inch. 6 mm is almost a quarter inch, whereas half an inch looks closer to 12-13 mm, so 5.5 would exist close to a quarter of an inch.

  • Question

    Why are there five holes in my 12" ruler?

    Community Answer

    Then you tin put the ruler in a 3- or v-ring folder to utilise in school or in an role surroundings.

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  • Make certain y'all e'er employ the correct side of the ruler for the chore at manus. You don't desire to go the centimeters and the inches mixed up or your measurements won't be correct. Call up that there are 12 large numbers on an English ruler and 30 numbers on the metric ruler.

  • Learning to read a ruler takes do, particularly converting the numbers in the measurements. But call back to practice using your ruler and you'll get better at it.

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Commodity Summary X

To read a metric ruler to measure centimeters, look at the long lines on the ruler that are numbered ane-thirty, which are the centimeter marks. The distance betwixt them is equal to 1 centimeter. In that location are smaller lines between the larger centimeter lines, which represent millimeters. Alternatively, to read an English ruler, start by looking for the inch lines, which are the longest lines on the ruler that are numbered i-12. The distance betwixt those lines is 1 inch, and then the smaller lines betwixt them are 1/2, 1/four, 1/6 and i/eight inches! For tips on how to count the smaller lines and effigy out how many millimeters you're working with, read on!

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Source: https://www.wikihow.com/Read-a-Ruler