Ten inches is commonly heard when someone is giving an estimate of the length or height of an object.
However, without anything to compare it to, getting a feel for just how big 10 inches is can be a bit tricky.
Being able to reference what an inch, 5 inches, and 10 inches look like can help.
Thumb Length
One of the easiest ways to estimate 10 inches, or any length in inches, is to compare the length to your thumb.
Although everyone has a thumb that’s a slightly different size, most adults’ thumbs generally measure about 1 inch in length.
This means that you can easily use your thumb to mark out 10 inches, and you’ll have a pretty good estimation of just how long that measurement is.
Money
A few dollar bills or coins is usually something most people have handy or can easily visualize, so they’re a great way to compare 10 inches and get a feel for the length.
A United States quarter, for example, is exactly 1 inch in diameter, which is 1/10 of 10 inches.
This means that you can use a quarter to mark out inches, getting a very accurate measurement of 10 inches without using a ruler.
Dollar bills are 2.5 inches tall along their short edges, which means that they’re 1/4 of 10 inches.
Visualizing 4 dollar bills can help you estimate what 10 inches looks like.
A Cell Phone
Although cell phone sizes vary depending on what brand and model the phone is, many phones, including some iPhone models, are about 5 inches long.
This means that an iPhone or another cell phone measuring around 5 inches long is about half of 10 inches.
Picturing two cell phones laid end to end can help you visualize right around 10 inches.
Some larger cell phones or small tablets, on the other hand, greatly exceed this length, and they themselves are about 10 inches long.
Golf Tees
Golf tees do vary a bit in length, depending on what they’re being used for and with which club they’re used.
However, most golf tees are right around 2 inches tall. This is 1/5 of 10 inches, and it means that, if you can picture five golf tees lined up end to end, you can easily picture 10 inches.
Stationery Items
There are many items that can be found on a desk or used for stationery that can help you estimate 10 inches, and because these items are so common and are generally right within reach, they make comparing to 10 inches simple.
For example, a standard paper clip is almost always exactly 1 inch long. This means that a paper clip is 1/10 of 10 inches.
Jumbo paper clips are usually about 2 inches long, which is 1/5 of 10 inches.
This also means that visualizing 5 jumbo paper clips can help you imagine what 10 inches looks like.
You can also use a pen to compare to 10 inches. Although pens can vary in length, many simple pens, such as a Bic pen, are right around 5 inches long.
This is half of 10 inches, so imagining two pens lined up end to end can help you visualize what 10 inches looks like.
Pencils are a bit longer, and they usually measure about 7 inches before they’re sharpened.
This is just 3 inches shorter than 10 inches, so a pencil and a half are right around 10 inches long.
Crayons might not be as common a stationary item, but they can also be used to compare to 10 inches.
An unused crayon is right around 3.5 inches in length. This is a little more than 1/3 of 10 inches.
Paper is also an excellent way to estimate lengths or heights in inches. In the United States, standard printer paper is 8.5 inches wide, which is only an inch and a half less than 10 inches.
This same paper is also 11 inches tall, making it only 1 inch taller than 10 inches.
Looking at or visualizing the height of a piece of copy paper is a great tool for estimating 10 inches.
Soda Cans
These days, cans can differ in size, but most traditional soda cans, such as those used for Coca-Cola, Sprite, or Dr. Pepper, have a standard size of just under 5 inches tall and about 2.5 inches across.
This means that a soda can is half of 10 inches tall and 1/4 of 10 inches wide.
Picturing 2 soda cans together will give you an idea of what 10 inches looks like.
A Computer Monitor
You can purchase a computer monitor in nearly any size you need. However, one of the most common large monitor sizes is 20 inches.
This width is double 10 inches. Like televisions, computer monitors are measured diagonally from the top left corner to the bottom right corner or vice versa.
For example, the Apple iMac 21.5 has a diagonal screen measurement of 21.5 inches. The width of the monitor is 20.8 inches so picturing half of the width will be very close to 10 inches.
A Necklace
Necklaces and chains are available in a few different lengths, but a common long length is 20 inches, which is two times as long as 10 inches. 1/2 of a 20-inch long necklace is equal to 10 inches in length.
Other common lengths include 14, 16, and 18 inches.
