13 Common Things That Are 2 Inches Long
How long is 2 inches? Do you ever try to measure it with the help of a common object instead of using a tape measure or ruler?
It is small (2 inches), so we will obviously need small objects to measure it. Those objects have a length or width of 2 inches, or both sides are approximately 2 inches, making it possible to measure 2 inches.
Let’s see which everyday items are helpful to measure 2 inches.
How big is 2 inches?
Before I list the items, I would like to clarify a few key points that may help you understand this topic.
- When you use something besides a ruler or measuring tape to measure, it’s called non-standard measurement.
- Non-standard measurement does not provide precise length, but it gives us a rough guess about the length of things.
- We use various non-standard units to measure the length of different objects.
Shorter objects are measured using the inch, centimeter, or millimeter unit.
- 2 inches = 50.8 millimeters (mm)
- 2 inches = 5.08 centimeters (cm)
- 2 inches = 0.166667 feet (ft)
- 2 inches = 0.0508 meters (m)
Things that are 2 inches long
Here are a few common things that will help us estimate 2 inches of length.
- AA batteries
- A credit card
- Apple Watch Ultra 2
- Clothespin
- Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra
- Two small paper clips
- Two Quarter Dollars
- 4×6 index card
- Two bottle caps
- Black Prince’s Ruby
- Male Bee Hummingbird
- Samsung Galaxy SmartTag2
- Racquetball
All of these items are referred to as non-standard units of measurement because they provide only an approximate estimate of an object’s length.
AA batteries

An AA battery is one of the best non-standard items to measure 2 inches when there is no tape measure or ruler nearby.
In the United States, most companies’ alkaline, lithium, and rechargeable AA battery sizes are consistent in length. Their length is typically around 1.99 inches (50.5 mm). The 1 mm size difference is negligible, so 1.99 inches is nearly 2 inches.
Credit Card

Every individual carries a debit card and credit card in their wallet/purse.
Most of the credit and debit cards used the same size in the United States.
The standard size of these cards is 3.375 inches (85.6 mm) by 2.125 inches (54 mm).
The width of these cards is 54 mm, which is only 3 mm more than 2 inches (50.8 mm). So these cards can be a good tool to measure 2 inches in the absence of a tape measure and ruler.
Technically, the definition of length is the longest dimension, so I consider here the shortest side as width.
Apple Watch Ultra 2

The Apple Watch Ultra 2, being a newer and higher-end model, is quite popular amongst everybody.
It has a 49 mm titanium case size, which is very close to 2-inch. This is just 1.8 mm less than 50.8 mm (2 inches).
The size of the Apple Watch Ultra 2 is as below:
- Height: 49mm
- Width: 44mm
- Depth: 14.4mm
Are you excited to learn that we can use this watch as a non-standard tool to measure 2-inch length?
Small Clothespin

Small clothespins are usually approximately 2 inches in length. Its height is very close to 2 inches, so it is a good tool to measure 2-inch length in the absence of a ruler.
These smaller clothespins are often used for crafts, decorations, or lightweight tasks rather than heavy-duty clothes hanging.
Galaxy Watch Ultra

The Galaxy Watch Ultra is Samsung’s most recent premium smartwatch release. Many people have fallen in love with this gorgeous smartwatch.
This Galaxy Watch Ultra, like the Apple Watch Ultra 2, has a 47 mm titanium case that is almost 2 inches in size. Obviously, it is 3.8 mm shorter than 50.8 mm (2 inches), but it serves the purpose of estimating 2-inch length.
The physical specification of the Galaxy Watch Ultra is as below.
- Case Size: 47mm
- Body Dimension (HxWxD, mm)
47.4 x 47.1 x 12.1 - Body Weight (g): 60.5
Paper clip
Paper clips are available in different sizes and are used in schools and offices, as well as in our homes, to bond papers and documents together. Measuring objects with the help of paper clips is easy. When we measure with paper clips, connect each paper clip in a straight line to make the measurement.
A small paper clip is approximately 1 inch long. If the length of the object is 2 paper clips long, it means the object is 2 inches long. 2 inches is equivalent to adding 2 measures of 1 inch.
If we used 2-inch jumbo paper clips to measure, one paper clip would be enough to measure 2 inches in length.
Quarter Dollar
The United States quarter dollar is worth 25 cents. The quarter dollar is a very handy non-standard unit of measurement because almost every American carries it in their pocket.
The diameter of a quarter is 0.955 inch, which is equal to 1 inch. So this quarter dollar is very useful to measure one inch as well as two inches and vice versa. When you line up two quarters horizontally in a connected position, you get an exact two-inch measurement.
4×6 Index card
A 4 by 6 index card is a small piece of cardstock. This index card has dimensions of 4 inches in width and 6 inches in length. You may be wondering how this odd measurement number card can measure two inches. Let’s find out.
To obtain an exact 2-inch measurement, fold it in half from the 4-inch width side in the middle. This 4×6 index card is one of the most useful non-standard units of measurement for measuring 2-inch, 4-inch, 6-inch, and 3-inch lengths.
Index cards are available in different sizes, such as :-
- 3 inches by 5 inches (3×5)
- 5 inches by 8 inches (5×8)
Two bottle caps

A bottle cap is approximately one inch in size.
When we place two bottle caps next to each other, they will measure approximately 2 inches long.
Bottle caps are readily available items; we can use them to measure small lengths such as one inch, two inches, or three inches, and vice versa in the absence of a ruler and tape measure.
Black Prince’s Ruby

The Black Prince’s Ruby measures approximately 2 inches (about 5 centimeters) in length. This substantial size, combined with its 170-carat weight, makes it one of the largest red spinels in existence and certainly one of the most historically significant gemstones in any crown jewels collection.
The Black Prince’s Ruby is placed in the Imperial State Crown. The Imperial State Crown is part of the Crown Jewels, which are housed in the Jewel House at the Tower of London, where they’re on public display when not in use for state occasions.
It is one of the oldest and most storied gems in the British Crown Jewels. The Black Prince’s Ruby is one of the most famous gemstones in the British Crown Jewels, but it’s not actually a ruby at all—it’s a large red spinel. Before the 18th century, all red gemstones were commonly called “rubies,” and the name stuck for this historic piece.
Its fame comes from its extraordinary history spanning over 600 years. The stone has witnessed some of the most dramatic moments in English history. It narrowly escaped destruction in 1671 when Colonel Blood attempted to steal the Crown Jewels.
The stone is roughly oval or egg-shaped, with that approximate 2-inch measurement being its longest dimension. It remains priceless due to its historical significance rather than its geological classification.
Male Bee Hummingbird

Hummingbirds are found only in the Americas—no other continent has them in the wild.
The male bee hummingbird is the smallest bird in the world. Its length is roughly 2 to 2.4 inches from beak tip to tail tip. It weighs approximately 1.6 to 2 grams. The female bee hummingbirds are slightly larger than the male hummingbirds.
Hummingbirds are famous for being nature’s ultimate combination of speed, precision, energy, and iridescent beauty. They can fly backwards, sideways, and even upside-down with incredible precision, making them the “helicopters” of the bird world. Their hearts can beat up to 1,200 times per minute (in flight), and they breathe about 250 times per minute.
They spend a significant portion of their day perched on a high twig, acting as a sentry and chasing off any intruders with high-pitched chattering and dive-bombing maneuvers. Despite their tiny size, they are incredibly aggressive and territorial, readily chasing away much larger birds, insects, and even humans from their feeding grounds.
Samsung Galaxy SmartTag2
The Samsung Galaxy SmartTag is a small, Bluetooth-enabled tracking device designed to help you locate lost or misplaced everyday items by attaching the tag to them. It’s a small, lightweight, square-shaped device with a hole for a keyring.

You attach the SmartTag to something you frequently lose. When that item goes missing, you use your smartphone to make the tag ring or see its last known location on a map.
The Samsung Galaxy SmartTag2 measures 2 inches in length and 1.13 inches in width. The Samsung SmartTag2 is popular in the USA, where Samsung phones are widely used.
Samsung Galaxy SmartTag is a simple yet powerful tool that leverages the vast Samsung device network to solve the universal problem of losing important items, giving Galaxy users significant peace of mind.
The main limitation is that it only works with Samsung Galaxy phones, but for the many Samsung users in the USA, it offers an excellent tracking solution with a strong network and feature-rich experience.
Racquetball
Racquetball was invented in the United States, specifically in Greenwich, Connecticut, around 1949-1950 by Joseph Sobek. This is most famous and widely played in the United States where it still has the largest number of players, courts, leagues, and tournaments. It’s also played in countries like Canada, Mexico, Bolivia and Argentina.

Racquetball uses a hollow rubber ball that is 2.25 inches (57mm) in diameter which is just 7 mm more than 2 inches (50.8 mm). It’s specifically designed to be highly bouncy (dynamic) to take advantage of the play off all surfaces (front wall, side walls, ceiling, and floor) in a racquetball court.
The ball is made of rubber and is designed to be highly bouncy for the fast-paced indoor court game. Racquetballs come in different dot colors like blue, green, purple, and red to indicating their speed and bounce, which is crucial for player level and court conditions:
The “type” of ball you choose usually depends on your skill level and where you are playing, which is indicated by the color. For standard competitive indoor play, you will use a blue dot ball.
Conclusion
Non-standard unit measurement—it might be, or it also might not be precise, but its very close to the desired measurement, which is why we call it an estimate. It is like a good guess, or you can say it is a rough guess. Whatever it is, it is incredibly useful for measuring in the absence of a ruler and tape measure.
