Content

• Steps
• Method 1 of 2: English ruler
• Method 2 of 2: Metric ruler
• Tips

There are two types of rulers; they differ in what system of measures was used when applying divisions - the English system or the metric system. Reading the ruler is pretty straightforward. Once you understand the basics described in this article, you should be able to read the readings of any ruler.

Steps

Method 1 of 2: English ruler

1. 1 Let's start with an English-style ruler. It has 12 graduations (large marks) representing inches. 12 inches equals 1 foot (30.5 cm). Each inch is divided into 15 divisions (small marks), that is, each inch on the ruler is indicated by 16 marks.
   • The higher the mark, the higher the indicator. From the 1 "mark to the 1/16" mark, the marks are reduced in size in accordance with the decrease in performance.
   • The ruler reads from left to right. If you are measuring an object, line up its beginning (or end) with the left end of the ruler. The number you find on the ruler on the right determines the length of the item.
2. 2 There are 12 inch divisions on the English-style ruler. They are numbered and indicated by the largest marks. For example, if you need to measure the length of a nail, align the beginning (or end) with the left end of the ruler. If the end (or beginning) of the nail aligns with the large "5" mark, then the nail is 5 inches long.
   • Some rulers also have 1/2 "markings, so do not confuse the largest inch marks with the smallest marks.
3. 3 1/2 "marks. These marks are half the length of inch marks. They are placed in the middle of each 1-inch mark because they represent half an inch. That is, such marks are applied between 0 and 1 inches, 1 and 2 inches, 2 and 3 inches, and so on. There are 24 such marks on the 12-inch ruler.
   • For example, line up the left end of your ruler with the tip of your pencil eraser. If the tip of the lead points to the mark between the 4 "and 5" marks, then the pencil length is 4 and 1/2 inches.
4. 4 1/4 inch marks. These marks are placed in the middle of the 1/2 "marks, are smaller and represent 1/4". In the first inch, these marks represent 1/4, 1/2, 3/4, and 1 inch. Although there are separate marks for "1/2" and "1", they are included in 1/4 "measurements because 2/4" is half an inch and 4/4 "is 1 inch. There are 48 such marks on the 12-inch ruler.
   • For example, if you are measuring a carrot and the end is aligned with the mark between the 6 1/2 and 7 marks, then the length of the carrots is 6 and 3/4 inches.
5. 5 1/8 ”marks. These marks are placed between the "1/4" marks. There are markers between 0 and 1 inches denoting 1/8, 1/4 (or 2/8), 3/8, 1/2 (or 4/8), 5/8, 6/8 (or 3/4) , 7/8 and 1 (or 8/8) inches. There are 96 such marks on the 12-inch ruler.
   • For example, you are measuring a piece of fabric and the edge aligns with the 6th mark after the 4 "mark, which is directly between the 1/4" and 1/2 "marks. This means that the length of the fabric is 4 and 3/8 inches.
6. 6 1/16 inch marks. These marks are placed between the “1/8” marks. These are the smallest marks on the ruler. There are markers between 0 and 1 inches denoting 1/16, 2/16 (or 1/8), 3/16, 4/16 (or 1/4), 5/16, 6/16 (or 3/8) , 7/16, 8/16 (or 1/2), 9/16, 10/16 (or 5/8), 11/16, 12/16 (3/4), 13/16, 14/16 ( or 7/8), 15/16, 16/16 (or 1) inches. There are 192 such marks on the 12-inch ruler.
   • For example, you are measuring a flower stem and its end is at the 11th mark after the 5 "mark. In this case, the stem length is 5 and 11/16 inches.
   • Not every ruler has 1/16-inch markings. If you plan on measuring small items, or want to take accurate measurements, make sure your ruler has these marks.

Method 2 of 2: Metric ruler

1. 1 Take a metric ruler. Here, the units of the metric system we are accustomed to are used - centimeters and millimeters. The metric ruler usually has 30 numbered marks denoting centimeters (cm). There are 10 smaller marks between every two centimeter marks, denoting millimeters (mm).
   • The ruler reads from left to right. If you are measuring an object, line up its beginning (or end) with the left end of the ruler. The number you find on the ruler on the right determines the length of the item.
   • Unlike the English ruler, the metric ruler readings are written in the form of a decimal, not an ordinary fraction. For example, you should write not 1/2 cm, but 0.5 cm.
2. 2 Centimeter marks. The numbered large marks are centimeter marks. There are 30 such marks on the ruler. For example, align the left end of the ruler with the tip of the eraser on your pencil. If the end of the lead points to the large “14” mark, then the pencil is 14 cm long.
3. 3 Half-centimeter marks. These marks are slightly shorter than centimeter marks. They are placed in the middle of each 1 cm division, because they represent 0.5 cm.On a 30-centimeter ruler, there are 60 such marks.
   • For example, you are measuring a button and its edge coincides with the fifth mark between the 1 cm and 2 cm marks. In this case, the diameter of the button is 1.5 cm.
   • If you need to measure 0.6 cm, it will be one half centimeter and one millimeter mark
4. 4 Millimeter marks. There are four millimeter marks between the centimeter and 0.5 cm marks. For every 1 cm there are 10 marks, including the mark "0.5 cm" (which corresponds to 5 millimeters), that is, 1 cm is equal to 10 mm. There are 300 such marks on the 30-centimeter ruler.
   • For example, if you are measuring a piece of paper whose edge coincides with the seventh mark between the 24 cm and 25 cm marks, then the length of the paper is 247 mm or 24.7 cm.

Tips

• Make sure you are using the correct side of the ruler when measuring the object. Don't confuse centimeters with inches; otherwise, your measurements will not be correct. Remember that there are 12 large marks on the English ruler, and 30 on the metric ruler.
• Practice reading a ruler. Over time, you will learn to do this pretty quickly (especially converting numbers when measuring).