Thirty inches is equivalent to 76.2 centimeters or 2.5 feet.
However, whether you’re trying to measure something for a DIY project or just need to know for general knowledge, it can be hard to visualize the length of 30 inches if you don’t have a ruler handy.
That’s why we’ve compiled this list of 10 everyday items that are roughly 30 inches long to give you a better idea of what that measurement looks like in real life. They’re all familiar items, from pencils to pens.
Ready? Let’s dive in!
10 Common Things That are 30 Inches Long
1. Six Standard Beverage Cans
Standard beverage cans are everyday items used for storing and transporting non-carbonated and carbonated drinks, including soda, beer, and energy drinks.
Usually, standard beverage cans hold about 12 fluid ounces and are around 4.83 inches tall. By doing simple math, you can imagine the height of six placed in a row end to end to get a sense of how long 30 inches looks like.
2. Two Bowling Pins
A bowling pin is a small, cylindrical piece of wood or plastic used in bowling. With thousands of bowling centers across the US and many local bowling leagues, you might be familiar with them.
Bowling pins are usually 15 inches long, making them excellent for estimating small lengths. If you’re familiar with them, imagine one standing on top of another to get a sense of what 30 inches looks like.
3. Three Burpless Cucumbers
Burpless cucumbers are a sweet variety of cucumbers, a favorite for many thanks to their thin skin, making them easy to digest and less likely to cause indigestion issues.
If you like preparing your own food, you might be familiar with burpless cucumbers and their size, as they’re popular additions to sandwiches and salads.
Of course, they’re all not equal, but the average size of a burpless cucumber is around ten inches long, according to Bonnie Plants. That means picturing three in a row gives you something about 30 inches long.
4. Four Pencils
Pencils are great, indispensable tools used for various tasks, including writing, drawing, and sketching.
Pencils can be as small as 0.19 inches and as big as 23 meters. But with common sense, these are not practical for the job, so the standard length tends to be about 7.5 inches with the eraser included, comfortable for most people to hold and write with. That means placing four unused pencils in a row end to end gives you 30 inches.
5. Five US Dollar Notes
The US dollar, the official currency of the United States, is an everyday item in the country, and chances are you’ve used them in most of your transactions, big and small.
And as you might have realized, all US dollar notes are equal at 6.14 inches long, regardless of the denomination.
They’re probably the most accessible items for estimating small lengths. If you’ve some in your wallet now, take five, as they add up to 30.7 inches.
6. Six Pens
Pens are great tools we use for writing and sometimes drawing.
And as you know, pens come in many different types, including fountain pens, ballpoint pens, and felt-tip pens.
But do you know how long the pens are? Well, they vary, but the difference is slight. Most of them range between 5.11-5 – 5.5 inches long, meaning placing six in a row gives you something close to 30 inches.
7. Four Adult Toothbrushes
A toothbrush is a household item you use daily for maintaining good oral hygiene, while it also helps you prevent tooth decay and several diseases, including gum disease.
You’ve bought toothbrushes countless times, but have you ever realized how long they are? Well, if you’ve been keen enough, you must have noticed they’re not all equal. They vary depending on the brand, but most are within the 7-8 inches range. So if you can visualize the length of four toothbrushes, they total roughly 30 inches long.
8. Thirteen Pool Balls
Also known as billiards balls, pool balls are relatively small, hard balls used for playing pool games.
While not as common as the other items in our list, pool balls can be found in many pubs, bars, and recreational centers, with the games among the most popular in the US.
Pool balls have a standard diameter of 2.25 inches. If you’re familiar with them, picturing thirteen arranged in a row gives you 29.25 inches, just a little under 30 inches.
9. Nine Standard Playing Cards
Standard playing cards are a deck of 52 cards used in many cultures worldwide for playing different kinds of games, including poker, solitaire, and bridge. Even magicians use standard playing cards to perform their tricks.
Standard playing cards are widely available. If you’ve seen or used them, you can picture their size. One is usually 3.5 inches long, so nine would give you 31.5 inches, just a little past our mark.
10. Nine Debit Cards
Even with Google Pay and Apple Pay joining the industry, debit cards are still the most popular mode of payment globally, and chances are you’ve one or more in your wallet now.
And as you might have realized, all debit cards not only look the same but also measure the same, 3.375 inches, as a standard developed by ISO and the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC). So, what would you get when you visualize nine placed end to end? Something close to 30 inches, at 30.375 inches.
