If you’re trying to figure out how long 50 inches is, it’s not that difficult. All you need to know is that 50 inches is only 2 inches longer than 4 feet (48 inches), or that it’s equal to 1.27 meters. Of course, these conversion figures don’t really help in understanding what 50 inches looks like in the real world.
Here’s a quick rundown of everyday objects that are 50 inches long or close to it:
- Broom handle
- 5 5-gallon water jugs
- Large shoe rack
- Great Dane
- 5 letter-size sheets
- Garden bench
- 1-1/2 skateboards
- Short hockey stick
- 5 American footballs or rugby balls
- 8 energy drink cans
1. Broom Handle
If you sweep your house on a regular basis, then you’re probably very familiar with the common broom. What you may not know about this device is that the handle—i.e., the portion of the broom you hold when sweeping—measures around 50 inches in length.
However, it should be noted that brooms come in a wide variety of styles, each with distinct handle lengths. For instance, the Casabella Wayclean is a wide-angled broom that measures about 48 inches in length. The more premium O-Cedar Corn Broom, which uses corn fibers, is 56 inches long.
2. 5 5-gallon Water Jugs
For those that work in an office setting, you’ve probably spent countless hours making mindless small talk with co-workers around the water jug. These jugs are blue in color to prevent or at least limit biological growth.
If you were to measure, say, a PrimeTrendz jug, it would be around 19-1/2 inches high and 10-3/4 inches in diameter. So, placing 4 or 5 of them side by side would get you pretty close to 50 inches. Be careful when arranging the jugs since each will weigh around 42 pounds when full.
3. Large Shoe Rack
Where do you keep your shoes? For most people, you may toss them in your closet floor. For the organized, you probably have a shoe rack to keep your footwear nice and tidy. A quick glance at your shoe rack may help you gauge what 50 inches looks like.
In reality, shoe racks come in all sorts of sizes. Smaller shoe racks may measure around 24 inches long, but the large ones are about 48 inches long and/or high. As an alternative, if you keep your shoes in their original boxes, you can multiply its width (usually 10 inches) to get 50 inches.
4. Great Dane
Great Danes are majestic animals that are well-known for their imposing sizes. Don’t get it wrong—despite their height, they are gentle giants and extremely friendly companions. In the past, however, Great Danes used their size as an advantage over the boar they hunted.
A mature Great Dane typically measures around 32 inches at shoulder height, but some have grown to over 40 inches!
5. 5 Letter-Size Sheets
In the US, letter-size paper is the go-to sheet size for everyday printing. It measures 8-1/2 inches wide and 11 inches long. Its dimensions may seem random, but the 44-inch stock sheets they were cut from made 11 inches a necessity.
To measure 50 inches in length using letter-size paper, you can align about 5 sheets end to end. This may not be the most accurate measurement method, but the availability of letter paper can make it a convenient tool in a pinch.
6. Garden Bench
Who doesn’t enjoy resting on a garden bench, especially after a long stroll around the neighborhood? These things add an aesthetic appeal to any garden, and they’re a great place to just relax and chat. This is assuming that the bench can seat more than one person!
Garden benches vary in size, but the typical length range is 42 to 60 inches. If you happen to stumble upon a bench on the smaller end of the size spectrum, you’re only ¼ of a foot off of 50 inches!
7. 1-1/2 Skateboards
Do you remember riding around on a skateboard in your youth? If so, then you probably have a really fun childhood! For those who didn’t ride, you may be wondering how this simple mode of transport can help you measure 50 inches.
The average skateboard measures 32 inches from end to end. Add the length of half another skateboard, and you’ll get pretty close to 50 inches. For the longboarders out there, your deck may measure precisely 50 inches!
8. Ice Hockey Stick
Ice hockey is a fast-paced and exhilarating sport that involves gameplay in between the violent brawls between players. To be honest, fisty cuffs only occur less than once every 82 games, but the highlights might have you believing differently! Luckily, the players aren’t allowed to use their hockey sticks during these impromptu bouts.
Speaking of hockey sticks, did you know the typical stick measures 60 inches or 5 feet? That’s more than what we want, but if you get your hands on a short stick (46 to 54-inch range), you’ll have an easier time measuring 50 inches.
9. 5 American Footballs or Rugby Balls
The sport we Americans call football is played with an oblong-shaped ball. While nicknamed “pigskin,” did you know that the bladder of a pig was actually used? Modern footballs do longer use any pig products, though the skin of a football is made of cowhide.
A regulation-grade football measures 11 inches. So, like letter paper, 5 American footballs placed end to end will get you 5 inches beyond the 50-inch mark. For the rugby lovers out there, exactly 5 of them would get you to 50 inches (10 inches each).
10. 8 Energy Drink Cans
Energy drinks are specially formulated beverages that contain caffeine and other stimulants. The purpose of downing these drinks is to give the drinker a boost of energy, but the insane amount of caffeine may have adverse health effects. That, however, is a story for another day.
What’s relevant now is how you can measure 50 inches with an energy drink can—say, Monster. These Monster slim cans measure 6.2 inches in height, so about 8 of them would get you pretty close to 50 inches.
