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Ruler - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruler

Ruler
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article is about the measuring instrument. For other uses, see Ruler (disambiguation).
"Carpenter's rule" redirects here. For the mathematical unfolding problem, see Carpenter's rule problem.
A ruler, sometimes called a rule or line gauge, is an instrument used in geometry, technical drawing,
printing, engineering and building to measure distances or to rule straight lines. The ruler is a straightedge
which may also contain calibrated lines to measure distances.[1]

Types
Rulers have long been made of different materials and in a wide range of sizes. Some are wooden. Plastics
have also been used since they were invented; they can be molded with length markings instead of being
scribed. Metal is used for more durable rulers for use in the workshop; sometimes a metal edge is
embedded into a wooden desk ruler to preserve the edge when used for straight-line cutting. 12 inches or
30 cm in length is useful for a ruler to be kept on a desk to help in drawing. Shorter rulers are convenient for
keeping in a pocket.[2] Longer rulers, e.g., 18 inches (45 cm) are necessary in some cases. Rigid wooden or
plastic yardsticks, 1 yard long and meter sticks, 1 meter long, are also used. Classically, long measuring rods
were used for larger projects, now superseded by tape measure or laser rangefinders.
Desk rulers are used for three main purposes: to measure, to aid in drawing straight lines and as a straight guide
for cutting and scoring with a blade. Practical rulers have distance markings along their edges.
A line gauge is a type of ruler used in the printing industry. These may be made from a variety of materials,
typically metal or clear plastic. Units of measurement on a basic line gauge usually include inches, agate, picas,
and points. More detailed line gauges may contain sample widths of lines, samples of common type in several
point sizes, etc.
Measuring instruments similar in function to rulers are made portable by folding (carpenter's folding rule) or
retracting into a coil (metal tape measure) when not in use. When extended for use they are straight, like a ruler.
The illustrations on this page show a 2-meter carpenter's rule which folds down to a length of 24 cm to easily fit
in a pocket, and a 5-meter-long tape which retracts into a small housing.
A flexible length measuring instrument which is not necessarily straight in use is the tailor's fabric tape
measure, a length of tape calibrated in inches and centimeters. It is used to measure around a solid body, e.g., a
person's waist measurement, as well as linear measurement, e.g., inside leg. It is rolled up when not in use,
taking up little space.
A contraction rule is made having larger divisions than standard measures to allow for shrinkage of a metal
casting. They may also be known as a 'shrinkage or shrink rule.[3]
A ruler software program can be used to measure pixels on a computer screen or mobile phone. These
programs are also known as screen rulers.

Ruler applications in geometry


Main article: Compass and straightedge

11/11/2015 8:27 PM

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