ByHow many small items around your home would measure 5 inches if lined up correctly?
More than you’d guess! Ordinary things like dollar bills, thumbs, books, and eggs can become improvised 5-inch rulers in a pinch.
Let’s explore household objects doubling as measuring tools in an instant.
Two and a Half Business Cards
Most standard business cards provided by printers measure exactly 2 by 3.5 inches. While the length of 3.5 inches falls short alone, lining up 2 and a half cards end to end would span precisely 5 inches.
So, if you are seeking a 5-inch object, a few business cards can be arranged to capture that length accurately.
You may also measure the cards – at 2 inches wide apiece, 2 and a half of them would compute the desired 5 inch horizontal distance.
Being easy to store in wallets and access, business cards make for convenient improvised 5 inch rulers.
Folded Dollar Bill
Analysis of a United States dollar bill’s dimensions shows it runs 6.14 inches horizontally by 2.61 inches vertically. Folding the bill’s width in approximate thirds creates a segment around 5 inches in that direction.
Specifically, line up edges and make the first lengthwise fold at 2.05 inches across.
Make the second fold at 4.1 inches. This fiddles with the bill somewhat but generates a 5-inch portion you can reference.
Bills also align to 5 inches on their vertical axis – line two up top to bottom rather than folding, and you have a 5 inch high measuring stick. Either way, keeping dollar bills accessible beats chasing lost rulers!
Two Tennis Balls
Regulation tennis balls approved for competitive tournament play must maintain a diameter within the 2.57–2.7 inches range, according to official rule books.
Lining two of these authorized balls up lengthwise, their combined measurement should tally between 5.14-5.4 inches down the center.
So, picture placing a pair of fresh felt tennis balls end-to-end as if connecting an invisible rod between them. The total distance from one curved edge across to the opposing curve would reliably equal 5 to 5 1⁄4 inches. Slide them apart to adjust within that variation.
Two Thumbs Side-by-Side
Looking at the most convenient body part for measurement estimating brings us to the thumbs. Extensive anthropological measurement of hand sizes shows the average adult thumb from tip to the base of the nail runs between 1.9 to 2.2 inches, with typical variance factored in.
What does this mean for 5 inches?
Spread apart your thumb and another person’s thumb side-by-side until their fleshy tips align. The resulting span between those aligned nail beds should fall squarely into a 4 to 5-inch range, depending on the exact thumb size.
Half a Burpless Cucumber
Long English cucumbers merit consideration when seeking 5 inch produce from the garden or store.
These elongated cukes grow on average between 10–14 inches long, making them exemplary candidates for bisection. Slice one directly down the center, and you’re guaranteed two 5 to 7 inch pieces.
More uniform yet for measurement purposes are the aptly named burpless cucumber variety. These cukes maintain an especially straight and consistent 10-inch maturity length through careful plant breeding.
Chop a burpless in half across its midline, and voila – two 5-inch sections right off the vine!
Empty 12 Ounce Soda Can
The modern 12-ounce aluminum soda can provides a neatly tapered cylinder with a lower diameter precisely spanning 5 inches.
Examining specifications of leading beverage manufacturers finds these cans measure 2.13 inches across at the base, then slightly widen to 2.6 inches at the higher opening rim.
Reliably averaging 5 inches tall, the ubiquitous 12-ounce container (commonly used for sodas, beer, energy drinks, and more) delivers 5 quick inches measurable by length or width when emptied.
Were you feeling too lazy to snag a tape measure? The recently downed stand can be upright for all your 5-inch estimating needs.
Mass Market Paperback Book
Well-known paperback publisher Penguin Random House cites that their standard mass-market paperbacks measure 4.25 inches wide, just under the 5 inch mark.
However, numerous competitors print titles at varying widths ranging from 4 inches to 5.
Lining enough paperbacks up could eventually hit a 5-inch stacked span, but barring a bookcase collapse, this improvised measuring will likely require estimating.
But now you can mentally judge future beach read thickness compared to that 5 inch benchmark!
The Height of an iPhone 12
Apple’s iPhone 12 measures 5.78 inches tall by 2.82 inches wide. So, although not exactly 5 inches, this ubiquitous smartphone’s height is very close.
The iPhone 12 seems to have hit the sweet spot between compact portability and providing adequate screen space. And part of that winning equation happens through its roughly 5-inch frame.
An Apple AirPods Charging Case Lined Up Lengthwise
The standard charging case for Apple’s AirPods settles in at dimensions of 1.78 inches wide by 0.85 inches thick by 2.11 inches high.
Lined up across its length, the case for these wildly popular headphones hits a length of just about 5 inches. Chances are decent that Airpod owners have one of these iconic cases handy as an improvised 5-inch measure.
Two Jumbo Eggs Side-by-Side
The standard jumbo egg you might buy at the grocery store averages about 2.5 inches long by 1.75 inches wide.
Set two side-by-side lengthwise, and you have a 5-inch improvised ruler. Eggs have become nicely standardized, so two jumbo eggs make for a consistent 5 inches.
Conclusion
As we’ve explored, there is quite an array of commonly encountered items that extend to around 5 inches long. This seems to be a handy size for functionality and portability across many regularly used objects.
The next time you need to estimate or measure 5 quick inches, look no further than a couple of thumbs, your AirPods case, a paperback book, or one of the other handy items that happen to hit that length. Makeshift 5-inch rulers surround us if we notice the way so many familiar items perfectly align with this useful dimension.
