How do you measure an object without measure tape or a ruler?

Question

I just want to know how some people do it.
Thanks.

Answer 1

I use my hands, distance from my middle fingertip to the knuckle is 4 inches. Width of my palm 3 and a quarter inches. From tip of my middle finger to the end of my palm is seven and a quarter inches. Quite "handy" at times, LOL!

Answer 2

A dollar bill is close to 6inches by 2 5/8 inches (I used a dollar bill when I was in the service to make my rack(bed), had to have six inches of sheet folded back over the blanket and six inches from the top)

A pint of water weighs about one pound (8.33 lbs to a gallon)

Placing your arms out (like a cross) the distance finger tip to finger tip is about your height)

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In industry:
A Gage sometimes called a go/no go Gage. Basically a tool with specific size notch or opening equal to a high or low tolerance measurement.

So if you were making widgets that are 1 inch tall +/- .1 you would have a set of two gages one with a 0.9 inch opening the other with a 1.1 inch opening. If your widget fits in the larger and not the smaller opening then it is considered in spec. If it fits in the smaller opening loosely it is too small and a reject. And if it doesn't fit in the largest its too big also a reject.

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Answer 3

The expression "rule of thumb" comes to mind.

Measure your thumb (say about 3")....then use that to measure the object. So if it's 6 thumbs, it would be around 18"

Answer 4

the other three answers are just being smart alicks
the periods are just to space out the aother things cos it messe up if i dont
i would make a diagram using known variables and unknown variables (i would make the diagram a triangle)
A
eg............|\
unknown...|..\
height/......| ...\
distance>..|.....\
................|......\
.............B.|____ \ C
this is >>^.....^approximate this distance
90 degrees

if you place your fingers at a 45 degree angle and make sure your top finger points at the top of the object then you can assume that angle C is 45 degrees you can now use the formula
c^2=a^2+b^2-2(a)(b)cosC
to figure out you missing length!!!
or you can use a less effective method like those mentioned in the other answers

Answer 5

there r other instruments besides tape and scale like micrometer, vernier callipers, spherometer..but these r used to measure hollow cylinders, thickness, curvature, radius of sphere, etc

for plain thing we can use conventional methods but they r inaccurate...eg. fingers, width of finger, width of palm, distance between fingertip to elbow, distance between outstretched arms, etc.
but these measurements vary according to each individual's body proprtion and hence will tend to be inaccurate

another interesting thing i used during my drawing exam where scales were not allowed...we used long and thin pieces of paper for measuring similarities!

Answer 6

People approximate it. If you know an inch is about a certain length, you can use that to figure out length.

Also, if you grow barley, an inch is three barley grains placed end to end.

Answer 7

mathematically, the gap between 2 factors is the sq. root of x2-x1 minus y2-y1 (i think of). yet you will desire to degree how long a particular element on your physique is to apply as a reference. in specific circumstances you will desire to degree your pinky or index finger then once you would be able to desire to apply that to be attentive to precisely how long some thing is.

Answer 8

they compare it to other things that are well known so that others know how big it is in comparison. for example: it was as big as a bread box"

Answer 9

micrometer, laser interferometry just plain guess