Curious about the length of 20 inches? Well, you are in the right place!
Knowing how long 20 inches is can assist you in solving equations, visualizing concepts, or completing assignments.
It can also help you cut materials like wood, fabric, or pipes to the desired length, ensuring the accuracy and fit of your project if you’re a DIY enthusiast.
And if you are fascinated with measurements and dimensions, it can be a valuable asset to your knowledge base.
So, to give you perspective on how long that measurement is, this post covers nine items that are 20 inches long. The objects range from basketballs to bricks, offering relatable examples from everyday life.
Read: 11 Common Things That are 5 Inches Long (With Pictures)
List of Things That Are About 20 Inches Long
Twenty inches is equivalent to 50.8 centimeters or 1.7 feet. The following items can help you understand how long it is.
1. Diameter of Two Standard Basketballs
Basketball sizes vary depending on the level of play and the intended audience, although the difference is usually minimal.
For professional and collegiate men’s basketball, Size 7, which has a circumference of 29.5 inches and a diameter of about 9.45 inches, is the standard basketball size. It’s the most commonly used size in competitive basketball worldwide, including street basketball.
If you’re familiar with these balls, picture two placed end-to-end as they add up to 19 inches. Close enough.
2. A Line of Six Debit Cards
Debit cards are the most popular mode of payment in the United States and many other countries. Due to their ease of accessibility, they are excellent reference points for various small length measurements, such as three inches and six inches.
You can also rely on them even for relatively long measurements, such as 20 inches. They are precisely 3.3 inches long, so you need to visualize six placed in a row end-to-end to realize how long 20 inches is.
3. Two Burpless Cucumbers
Burpless cucumbers have thin, tender skin, which does not require peeling, unlike other cucumber varieties. They’re preferred to the traditional alternatives thanks to their mild flavor and lack of bitterness, which eliminates the common problem of causing burps or indigestion in some individuals.
Typically, burpless cucumbers are longer than their traditional counterparts, measuring approximately 10 inches.
While that makes them perfect references for 10 inches, if you can visualize the length of two, they would be solid references for 20 inches.
4. A Line of Four Standard Beverage Cans
Beverage cans are popular household items in many parts of the world. They serve as convenient packaging for drinks, including soda, energy drinks, and beer, and are the perfect choice for on-the-go individuals and those who like sipping the drinks at home.
One of the most popular beverage can is the 12-ounce can since it is the standard size. Regardless of the drink, this can is about 4.83 inches tall, a reliable reference point for small length measurements such as 5 inches.
But if you can arrange or visualize as many as four end-to-end on a straight line, they would give you a practical understanding of how long 20 inches is.
5. A Line of 14-15 Paper Clips
Paper clips are popular items found in various settings, including offices, schools, and homes. They hold sheets of paper together, helping organize a desk to look neat.
As tiny as these little guys are, they can give you a mental picture of how long 20 inches is. Each is about 1.37 inches long, so you have to visualize about 14 to 15 arranged end-to-end on a flat surface.
6. Two No. 10 Envelopes
Envelopes are found in similar settings as paper clips. In fact, they’re the most common in homes, used for various purposes such as sending letters, documents, or cards through the mail.
Envelopes come in various sizes, colors, and styles to suit different needs. The most common is the No. 10 envelope, the default size in homes, offices, and schools.
No. 10 envelope is 9.5 inches long, meaning placing two end to end will give you 19 inches. Almost close to the 20 inches mark.
7. A Line of Six Standard Playing Cards
Standard playing cards are used for casual and competitive gameplay, with popular games such as poker, bridge, blackjack, and solitaire. They have a broad appeal and are enjoyed by people of all ages, so chances are you have a deck for playing with friends.
Similarly to debit cards, standard playing cards are popular references for small measurements such as three inches since they’re usually 3.5 inches long.
But you can also rely on them for longer distances, such as 20 inches. Just line up six end to end as they exceed the 20 inches mark by only one inch.
8. A Line of Two and Half US-standard Bricks
Bricks are among our favorite items for referencing small measurements, weights and lengths.
Their size usually varies depending on the country, so you should always confirm the standard size in your country before using them as your reference points.
In the United States, a standard brick is usually eight inches long. So, using them to understand a measurement of 20 inches, picture three placed in a row end to end and then imagine cutting either one into half.
Read: 10 Common Things That are Approximately 11 Inches Long
9. Diameter of 21 US Quarter Dollars
Also known as quarters, quarter dollars are some of the most preferred reference points for many who always keep them. They’re widely accepted in everyday transactions, especially in parking meters and coin-operated devices such as laundry machines, so you likely have some.
Each US quarter has a diameter of 0.955 inches, a fraction of the measurement we’re trying to understand.
However, if you can line up as many as 21 end-to-end, they would stretch to approximately 20 inches.
