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\n<\/p><\/div>"}. Step 2: Cut & Double- Halves. It's in the middle between the 7th and 8th millimeter lines in a centimeter. If you are measuring an object, align it with the left side of the zero mark on the ruler. A measurement to select will appear above the ruler image. And if you don’t know how to read a ruler, then you’ll likely suffer some consequences. Each 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. To create this article, 49 people, some anonymous, worked to edit and improve it over time. Here are two easy-to-follow videos to further help you learn how to read a ruler: If you’d rather test out your ruler-reading knowledge with practice questions, then it’s a great idea to download free measurement worksheets from these math sites: All of these resources, in addition to the handful of practice questions we gave you above, should be enough to get you reading a ruler in no time at all! (8 divided … We use cookies to make wikiHow great. Take a look at the following English Rulers: A ruler marked in 4ths. 2: To start, let’s take a look at the imperial ruler. I didn't, "How it was explained, the article mentioned it step by step, and explained everything from mm, cm, in. When entering fractions into the conversion calculators, you have to separate the whole number and the fraction with a + sign. The numbers to the right of the decimal represent tenths, hundredths and thousandths, respectively. An inch can be divided into 8, 16, or even 32 parts. Mark where the tip of the pencil lead ends on the ruler. So with this alongside a, "Very helpful and informative. This would mean that the phone is 4.5 cm (45 mm) wide. And the last one 1/32 inches ruler divided by 32 verticle lines. How to Read a Ruler (and Other Simple Tricks). English rulers, are much more difficult to read. Finally, the smallest unit on a ruler is 1/16 inch. The third-biggest lines on a ruler are the 1/4 inch lines, which appear midway between the 1/2 inch and whole inch lines: If you counted in 1/4 inches on a ruler, you'd see that the fourth line after 0 inches equals 1/4 inch, the eighth line equals 2/4 (1/2) inch, and the 12th line equals 3/4 inch. Higher quality rulers are often made of non-elastic materials like steel or aluminum, and their markings start without any space. In the drawing below, we show a ruler with graduations or marks of 0.1" (1/10") and 0.01" (1/100"). Ranging from 1 inch to 1/16 of an inch, the lines decrease in size as the unit of measurement does. The above ruler to scale is effectively a life size ruler and can both be used as an online 12 inch ruler (online ruler inches: shows how to read a ruler in inches) or when printed as a printable centimetre ruler. A machinist ruler is an important piece of equipment for mechanics and others who need exacting measurements. For example, 1/2 a centimeter is written as 0.5 cm. ", parts of a measuring tape. You'll know it's an inch ruler because it will have 12 lines that denote inches on the ruler. For example, you measure a button and the edge ends on the fifth line right between the 1 and 2 centimeter marks. These are the smallest lines on the ruler, that is, the ones that come between the whole centimeter and 1/2 centimeters: Example: You’re measuring the length of a strand of hair. The distance between those lines is 1 inch, and then the smaller lines between them are 1/2, 1/4, 1/6 and 1/8 inches! wikiHow marks an article as reader-approved once it receives enough positive feedback. Though the machinist ruler may appear to be very much like other rulers, the number of increments between inches or centimeters allow it to be read with a much higher degree of accuracy than standard rulers which don't feature as many increments. The 1/8 lines are found midway between each 1/4-inch line: If you counted in 1/8-inch increments, you'd find that the second line after 0 equals 1/8 inch, the fourth line 2/8 (1/4) inch, the sixth line 3/8 inch, the eighth line 4/8 (2/4 or 1/2) inch, the 10th line 5/8 inch, the 12th line 6/8 (3/4) inch, and the 14th line 7/8 inch. 7/8 is smaller than 1 inch. The lines represent 1/8 of an inch or .125 of an inch. You might see inches on the other side of your metric ruler. This would mean that the cloth is 10 1/4 (10.25) inches long. Reading a ruler is a crucial skill and a great way to apply math skills to real world objects. ", system. Not every ruler will have the 1/16 inch mark. Get an inch ruler. For example, you measure a flower stem and the end of the stem falls on the 11th line after the 5 inch mark. wikiHow is a “wiki,” similar to Wikipedia, which means that many of our articles are co-written by multiple authors. When reading a ruler for the first time, it can be helpful to count each mark, typically measuring 1/16 of an inch. Example: You count eight marks, equalling 8/16 of an inch or 1/2 inch. No one ever broke it down and worked backwards to explain it - that's why I couldn't get it. This helps me out a great deal. Wow! The upper right-hand corner displays either millimeters or inches, depending on which read mode is selected. A Comprehensive Guide. I'm very happy to have learned so much, especially, "This has helped me a lot. 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