How easy is measuring short distances without rulers or tape measures? Apparently, the shorter the distance, the easier it is to gauge by eye.
4 centimeters is the equivalent of 1.57 inches. You can get an approximation of what 4 centimeters looks like by looking at the first joint of your thumb.
There are also plenty of everyday objects you can use as references for measuring 4 centimeters. In this guide, I’ll share 9 common household items that will help you measure close to or precisely 4 centimeters.
7 No. 2 Pencils
Some of you might recall what it was like writing with a no. 2 pencil back in your school days. Others might have to shop for them regularly to replenish their children’s school supplies. The length of a no.2 pencil is 7.5 inches, which won’t help you approximate 4 centimeters.
However, using the widths of a no. 2 pencil might. A no. 2 pencil is typically hexagonal in shape and has a thickness of ¼ of an inch or 6 millimeters. So, if you took 7 of them and laid them next to each other, you would only be 2 millimeters off of the 4-centimeter mark.
2 Pennies
If you live in the United States, one of the easiest ways to measure centimeters is by using coins. You can check out the dimensions of various US coins here, but in short, a penny measures 19.05 millimeters wide.
Placing 2 pennies next to each other would give you a total width of 3.81 centimeters, which isn’t too far off from 4 centimeters. Alternatively, you could use 2 21.21-millimeter nickels and get a collective width of 4.242 centimeters.
1 AAA Battery
You may have wondered to yourself, “Why are there so many different kinds of batteries?” The simple answer is that different electronics have different power-consumptions levels. So, if you could somehow fit an AAA battery inside of a battery holder meant for D batteries, the AAA battery would drain a lot more quickly.
Anyway, if you don’t have spare AAA batteries on hand, take on out from your TV’s remote control. A single AAA battery measures 44.5 millimeters, which is barely past the 4-centimeter length you want to measure.
1 Golf Ball
If you’re an avid golf fan, I feel sorry for you. What’s the point of playing a sport where the goal is to play the least amount of golf to win? My opinion of golf aside, if you have a golf ball somewhere in your garage, try and look for it.
A golf ball should measure 42.67 millimeters in diameter. That’s only 2.67 millimeters past 4 centimeters. And just in case you’re wondering, the total number of dimples on a golf ball is somewhere between 300 and 500.
Half of 1 Hockey Puck
Hockey is a much more fascinating sport compared to golf. The purpose is to score as many goals as possible while also knocking out as many teeth as you can in 60 minutes. It’s also a pretty popular spot among kids growing up in the northern hemisphere of the United States.
So, if your kid has a hockey puck somewhere in the house, you can use it as a reference for measuring 4 centimeters. Technically, a hockey puck is 3 inches (7.62 centimeters) wide, but if you can imagine cutting it in half, you’ll have 3.81 centimeters of a hockey puck—just 19 millimeters shy of 4 centimeters.
1 Business Card
If you’re into the whole networking thing, then it’s crucial that you have a business card. Even a virtual business card can be a good idea to have since it’ll allow you to share your business, your credentials, and your contact information with more people.
But if you’re stuck using traditional business cards, which measure 3.5 inches wide, you’re in luck. You can fold that card in half to get it to 1.75 inches wide, which is pretty close to 4 centimeters.
2 Almonds
Whether you want to add a bit of crunch to a green bean casserole or you want a healthier morning smoothie, it’s a good idea to have a jar of almonds on hand. Just make sure they’re not raw almonds since they’re poisonous. At the very least, you should have a jar of whole almonds that are ready to pop into the oven for a quick toast.
If you do have a jarful of whole almonds, pluck two of them out of the jar at random. That’s how many almonds you’ll need to get to 4 centimeters. Technically, each almond measures around 2.5 centimeters, but that’s not too far from the 4-centimeter mark.
1 Billiard Ball
Billiards can be a pretty fun sport to play when you’re at the bar or chilling in your office break room. 9-ball is a fun version that’s a lot more forgiving for newbie players, but if you’re an expert, you’ll probably want to stick to billiards.
Regardless, you’ll end up using the same balls. A billiard ball measures 5.7 centimeters in diameter, so you’ll have to come up with a way to subtract the extra 1.7 centimeters to get to 4 centimeters.
A Quarter of 1 Dollar Bill
Earlier, I spoke about how you can use 2 pennies or 2 nickels to get pretty close to 4 centimeters. Well, if you only have paper money, you’ll still have an excellent reference.
A dollar bill measures 6.14 inches long. So, to get it down to around 4 centimeters, you’ll have to do a hamburger fold twice—i.e., fold short ends together—you’ll have a final length measurement of 1.535 inches, which is about 3.89 centimeters.
Conclusion
In this guide, I shared with you 9 everyday objects you can use as references for measuring 4 centimeters. Please note that these are only rough approximations, so you might be off by a few millimeters in either direction.
If you found this guide helpful, make sure you let your friends know by posting it on your socials. Also, please drop a comment if you can come up with any other objects that measure around 4 centimeters long.
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