Forty inches is equivalent to 101. 6 centimeters, 3.33 feet, or about 1 yard.
It’s such a small measurement you can understand using a caliper or a micrometer.
But if you don’t have the measuring tools? Maybe you’re a do-it-yourself enthusiast looking to estimate 40 inches for a project or a curious mind seeking general knowledge?
It can be damn frustrating. Sure.
But thankfully, that’s where items that equal or are roughly 40 inches come in handy.
And to help you out, this post covers ten examples of things approximately 40 inches long to act as your reference points. They include relatable household items to reduce your job to a simple, effortless task!
Let’s dive in!
10 Things That are Approximately 40 Inches Long
1. Five 500-ml Water Bottles
I can make a bold assumption that you’ve seen (or used) a 500-ml water bottle at least once in your life. That’s because these bottles are so prevalent in the United States, particularly in areas selling bottled water, including grocery stores and convenience stores. In fact, there could be several, empty or with water, at home, as most people usually buy water especially when traveling.
Since one 500-ml bottle is roughly eight inches tall, you can ingeniously use these bottles to determine a length of 40 inches. All you need to do is visualize how tall five can be when placed on top of each other.
2. Half a Queen-size Mattress
Queen-size mattresses are the most popular in the market. Thanks to their massive space, they’re enough for a couple and can comfortably fit you plus kids or pets.
Queen-size mattresses are perfect for estimating relatively small measurements since they’ve a standard size.
In this case, if you’ve one queen-size mattress in your room, you only need to visualize the size of half of it to understand the concept of 40 inches.
Alternatively, if you’re familiar with a king-size mattress, you can reference half of its length, which, although broader than its counterpart, measures 80 inches long.
3. Six and a Half US Dollar Notes
Although debit cards are the most popular mode of payment in the USA, dollars are still popular and circulating, as they’re the official currency.
All USA dollar notes are equal at 6.14 inches long, regardless of the denomination.
If you’ve lots of them, you can pick seven, arrange six end to end according to their lengths, fold the seventh into half, and add it to the line. They add up to 39.91, roughly the measurement we’re trying to visualize.
4. Four Burpless Cucumbers
Common in many grocery stores across the country, burpless cucumbers are favorite among most people, thanks to their milder, sweet taste and easy-to-digest tender skin.
Of course, burpless cucumbers vary in size. But most of those you find in stores are usually ten inches long, making them perfect for small measurements, like thirty inches.
So, if you’re familiar with them, you can picture how long four will be when arranged end to end.
5. Five Volleyballs
Volleyball is one of the most popular sports worldwide. It’s played in schools as a competitive and recreational sport and at the highest level in leagues and international competitions.
A size-5 or a full-size volleyball is the standard size for all these volleyball competitions and has a regulation diameter ranging from 8.15-8.39 inches.
So if you can visualize the five volleyballs placed side by side, they’d add up to about 41 inches, just a little past our mark.
6. Six Bananas
Bananas are right up there with burpless cucumbers in terms of popularity. They make an easy-to-carry-around snack with a rich nutritional profile.
And as you know, bananas come in all sizes.
But according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, average-sized banana measures about 7 inches long.
So, to grasp the size of 40 inches, imagine the length of 6 average bananas combined.
7. Five Standard Bricks
Bricks have versatile applications, such as constructing houses, bridges, pavements, and other structures.
And as you know, bricks vary a lot, depending on the job and from country to country.
With that said, a standard brick in the U.S. is one of the most common, and measures about eight inches long, as recommended by the American Society for Testing and Materials.
Thus, picturing the length of five standard bricks would give you about 40 inches.
8. Twelve Debit Cards
Debit cards are widely used in the U.S. for transactions of all sizes due to their convenience and cashless security. In fact, you likely have one or two in your wallet currently!
If you might have realized, all debit cards are equal, no matter your location, for, well, obvious reasons. They measure 3.37 inches long and are perfect for understanding small measurements, like three inches, as you only need to picture one.
And in our case, if you can arrange twelve side by side, they’d total 40.44 inches, a little past our mark.
More on that, you can reference an ATM card or a credit card the same way since they’re equal to credit cards.
9. Nine Men’s Wallets
Most men in the U.S. carry wallets, for many reasons, such as keeping visas, cash, or the debit cards we’ve just talked about.
Chances are you’ve bought them a couple of times, and if you’ve been keen enough, all wallets are almost equal, as the ideal size is 3.5 wide by 4.5 inches long.
So if you’ve one in your pocket now, picture how long nine would be if you placed them side by side.
10. Eleven Standard Playing Cards
Standard playing cards are the most common in stores that carry games. They’re widely used to play games such as solitaire, bridge, and poker and are popular among youth and kids.
Standard playing cards measure 3.5 by 2.25 inches, just a little bigger than debit cards.
Thus, the next time you’re looking to understand how long 40 inches is, you can imagine how long eleven such cards would be if arranged side by side.
