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简体中文Learn
Learn about size, scale and estimation
Articles about how big or small things really are, how people measure them, and how to picture numbers too large to imagine.
Each article names its author and the day it was last reviewed. Some are drafted with AI from our catalogue and cited sources; a person reads and checks every one before it is published. Read how we measure sizes, or try our estimation tips.
4 min read
How small is a cell?Human cells range from smaller than a hair to wider than one; giant amoebae can appear as specks. Compare cells with bacteria and viruses.
3 min read
Why does an avocado have such a huge seed?Why does an avocado carry such a large pit? Learn how seed reserves can help seedlings in shade and why Ice Age mammals may explain the fruit's past.
3 min read
Why do burgers shrink when cooked?Heat drives water and fat from a burger patty and tightens its proteins. Learn why it shrinks, domes in the middle, and how to shape it for the bun.
5 min read
Why do competition pumpkins grow so big?Why do pumpkins grow so big? Learn how giant-bred seeds, pruning and a healthy vine support near-kilogram daily growth during peak season.
3 min read
Why are eggs egg-shaped instead of round?Why are eggs egg shaped? A narrow part of a hen’s oviduct is thought to shape a chicken egg’s pointed end, and why a dropped egg curves as it rolls.
6 min read
What is the square-cube law?Doubling a design makes volume and weight rise eightfold, but support areas rise fourfold. See the effect on a 5.5 m mammal and the Yamato battleship.
3 min read
What would a billion grains of rice look like?Estimate what a billion rice grains look like from one 7 mm kernel, follow the air-gap calculation to a 20-cubic-metre heap, and picture a car beneath it.
3 min read
Does one large pizza beat two medium pizzas?A 45 cm pizza has 12.5% more surface than two 30 cm pizzas. See why diameter can mislead and how to compare a pizza order by price.
3 min read
How can you estimate jelly beans in a jar?Estimate jelly beans from a jar’s inside dimensions, measure a sample’s volume by water displacement, and apply a two-thirds correction for air gaps.
3 min read
A typical cloud can hold hundreds of tonnes of waterA fair-weather cumulus holds water as droplets spread through air. Follow the volume estimate to see why those droplets stay aloft.
2 min read
How many sugar cubes are in a can of soda?See how the sugar cubes in a can of soda add up: a 355 mL regular cola has about 39 g, close to ten cubes, stacked nearly to can height.
3 min read
How many seeds are on a strawberry?A strawberry has roughly 200 surface specks, each a tiny fruit with a seed. Learn how to estimate the count and how pollination shapes its flesh.
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Put your sense of scale to the test
Magnitudle is a game about the real size of things. Rank them, pick the biggest and resize them to real scale, then see the answer drawn to scale.
Free on iPhone and Android
