How do they measure things smaller than an inch in the US?

1. INTRODUCTION?

Although, historically, the bulk of the US population hasn’t needed to use smaller units than the inch on a daily basis, in more recent times and especially in certain types of professions, a precise measurement below those two and a half centimeters has become completely necessary. The solution? 👇

 

2. HOW DO AMERICANS MEASURE THINGS SMALLER THAN AN INCH?

1. 1. Measure in fractions of an inch: 1/2, 1/4, 1/16…

   2. Measure in thousandths of an inch, called mil or thou.

   3. Measure in points (1/72 of an inch) and derivatives such as picas (12 points) or twips (1/20 points).

   4. Use the metric system for the smallest and most precise measurements.

 

And that’s how americans deal with measurements smaller than an inch in the United States.

I hope you found the explanation useful/curious.

 

3. MORE INFORMATION AND REFERENCES

• Wikipedia.org (2023). United States customary units. Available [HERE].
• Wikipedia.org (2023). Thousandth of an inch. Available [HERE].