How Big Is 18 Inches: Common Objects That Will Amaze You
Not everyone can relate to 18-inch measurements. For a clear idea, I need to compare with familiar objects with a similar span.
So, how big is 18 inches? It’s just about the length of the average adult male femur. Regarding familiar objects, 18 inches is precisely the height of the American Girl Dolls. A basketball rim diameter is another perfect example in the realm of sports.
I’ll examine objects that hover right around the 18-inch mark. This should give you a better sense of how sizable this measurement really is.
How Big Is 18 Inches: 21 Objects To Help You Picture 18 Inches
Here’s a description of 21 objects that are roughly 18 inches long, tall, or wide. Use them to get the actual scale or dimension of 18 inches.
1. Half Width of The American Flag
The American flag is a common sight across the US. Among other places, you’ll find it in schools, museums, and public institutions. The standard dimensions are 36 x 60 inches. So, eighteen inches will span half the width of the flag.
2. American Girl Dolls
These dolls have a lot of history in them. In fact, 20% of baby shoppers choose the American Girl Dolls. Of course, these dolls come in many variants representing different nationalities, social classes, and ethnicities. Regardless, they’re all 18 inches tall.
3. Cutting Board
It’s hard to miss a chopping board across American kitchens. Essentially, we do most of the cutting, slicing, and mincing on this board. Most boards are standardized at 12 x 18 inches. So, what you want to focus on is the longer dimension of your cutting board.
4. Freightliner Steering Wheel
It’s not a common object per se. But with a market share larger than any truck manufacturer in the US, a Freightliner is still a common sight. This truck has steering wheel diameters of 17.71 inches or 18 inches. So, whichever size, it’s close to or precisely 18 inches.
5. Half Yardstick
Except in the US, only a few areas use yard measurements. So, getting a yardstick for reference shouldn’t be hard. My point is that a yardstick spans 36 inches. Consequently, half the span of your yardstick equals 18 inches.
6. Half Exterior Door Width
National and local building codes dictate door sizes. The set width for exterior doors is 36 inches. So, 18 inches should be half the width of your exterior door. Another perfect reference is an egress or emergency door. It, too, measures 36 inches wide.
7. Square Throw Pillow
You’ll find these pillows on couches, beds, and other furniture. They’re typically square, with sizes ranging from 16 to 24 inches. Nonetheless, 18 x 18 inches are most popular with interior designers.
8. Aluminum Foil
You may know it as tin foil. As statistics show, 318 million Americans use tin foil. We use it for packaging, baking, barbecues, and more. Essentially, each foil comes in a roll. Typically, the length varies. However, the width of the roll is often 18 inches for household use.
9. Half Twin Size Bed Width
You may have used a twin bed at some point. Or, possibly, your child has one. Regardless, I should emphasize that twin beds have standardized sizes of 38 x 75 inches. So, take half the span of the shorter dimension, which is 19 inches. That’s pretty close to 18 inches.
10. Jeep Wrangler Stock Wheels
Most Americans know a thing or two about Jeep Wranglers. For instance, it’s the only vehicle that can have its doors removed. But have you ever examined the wheel size?
These rugged-terrain vehicles have 17 or 18-inch stock wheels. This is the case for the JL Wrangler – JK Wrangler stock wheels are slightly smaller.
11. Three 60D Nails
Most Americans know nail sizes by the penny system. It’s what designates nail sizes. If you’re into framing large lumber, you’ve likely used the 60D nails at some point. 60D is what you’d call 6-inch nails. So, the total length of three 60D nails should give you 18 inches.
12. Middle Finger To Elbow
You must have heard of the cubit measurement. It originated from ancient Egypt, with Sumerians and Israelites also adopting it. Back then, one cubit was the length from the tip of the middle finger to the bottom of the elbow. Consequently, this span equals 18 inches.
Alternatively, you can visualize 18 inches in terms of palm widths. For the average adult hand, eighteen inches equals six palm widths. This is the width across the knuckles of your four fingers – excluding the thumb.
13. 3 Dollar-Bill Lengths
Now, I’ll talk about the dollar-bill note. Of course, it’s something every American has, making it a perfect reference. Regardless of the value, each dollar-bill note has a standardized length of 6.14 inches.
Take three notes and place them side-by-side along their lengths. This should give 18.42 inches total, rounding to 18 inches.
14. Two Dinner Knives
It’s the knife you use with your fork to eat grains or cut through meats and vegetables. One unique thing we know about dinner knives is their serrated edges.
But one thing you may not know is that they have standardized lengths. Typically, American dinner knives are 9.25 inches overall. So, two knives total around 18 inches.
15. Opened Letter Size Folder
It’s likely that you keep your documents in a file folder. If you do, you know about letter size folders – the most common file folder size. This file folder is 9 x 12 inches closed.
When you open it and lay it flat, it measures 12 x 18 inches. So, 18 inches is the longer side of an opened letter-size folder.
16. 3 Ping Pong Blade Widths
You may know it as a table tennis racket. Essentially, it has a blade – the flat paddle area you use to strike the ball. The blade portion is 5.9 inches wide. If you have three blades side-by-side, they’ll span 17.7 inches, which rounds up to 18 inches.
17. Two Size 6 or 7 Basketballs
There are different levels of play in basketball. We have the NBA and NCAA. Though different, the basketball size is pretty much the same across all competitions.
For the NBA, it’s a ball with a 9.43 to 9.51-inch diameter. On the other hand, the NCAA uses the 9.39 to 9.55-inch balls. So, two basketballs side by side span around 18 inches. Note that this applies to size 6 and 7 balls.
18. Two Lunch Plates
Your lunch plate can be as large as 12 inches. But you rarely get them in that size. Instead, 9 inches is the typical diameter of luncheon plates. Two plates adjacent to each other will measure 18 inches.
19. True BMX Bike Wheels
Don’t confuse this for BMX motorcycles. No, it’s BMX bicycles you use for tricks and stands. Wheel sizes will typically vary from 12 to 24 inches. However, 20 inches is the standard for freestyle BMX and BMX racing. It’s slightly past 18 inches but close enough to give a clear picture.
20. Basketball Rim Diameter
This rim diameter is for all senior-level games, from high school to competitive plays like the NBA. In all cases, the basketball hoop is 18 inches wide.
21. Standard Chess Board
Chess boards are typically a square of 16 to 20 inches or 21 inches for regulation chess boards. Essentially, the standard dimension for everyday play is 20 inches, hovering around 18 inches.
Conclusion
As you can see, 18 inches is surprisingly compatible with diverse items, including body parts. So, the next time you need to take an 18-inch measurement, consider these familiar objects. They conveniently encapsulate or closely approximate eighteen inches in measurement.
