Can you explain the diameter measurements used in bullets, wire and nails?
All three of these questions have to do with unusual units, and they all show just how interesting measurement systems can be! Bullets Bullets come in variety of different calibers. The caliber indicates the diameter of the bullet. Some common calibers include: • .22 • .25 • .357 • .38 • .44 • .45 For example, you have probably heard of a “.22 caliber rifle.” In all of these cases, the caliber number indicates the diameter of the bullet in inches. So a .25 caliber bullet is a quarter of an inch in diameter. Words like “Magnum” and “Special” imply that a higher-energy powder is used with the bullet. This page has a lot of information on bullet calibers. It also talks about the gauge of shotgun shells and says that the gauge numbers for a shotgun (12 gauge, 14 gauge, etc.) are “the numbers of lead balls — of diameters equal to the inside diameter of the gun — that are required to total up to a
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