If you have a measuring tape at hand, measuring 82 feet wouldn’t be too hard. There are measuring tapes that can measure up to 100 feet. However, referencing familiar things 82 feet long is a better way of getting the measure of things.
Here are some things that fall within the 82-feet range.
1. 4 Giraffes
Giraffes grow to about 6 meters tall, and their legs are taller than most human beings. Even though a giraffe has a long neck, it is too short of reaching the ground. That is why it has to awkwardly spread its front legs to reach out for a drink of water.
Therefore, at 6 meters tall, you would need to stack four giraffes on top of each other to get 24 meters or 80 feet.
2. Kenny Baker
Kenny Baker was an English actor best known for his role in the Star Wars as R2-D2. Baker was a short guy standing at only 3 feet eight inches tall. He got his role in the Star Wars because of his height. Therefore, you would need 20 times his height to get just about 80 feet.
3. 3 London Buses
Did you know that London buses carry more than six million passengers a day? Also, before 1907, these buses were painted different colors to represent different routes. Later, someone had the idea of using numbers instead. London buses measure about 27 feet long. Therefore, it would take three such buses to add up to about 82 feet.
4. Brachiosaurus
Brachiosaurus were long-necked dinosaurs discovered in 1900. Their front legs were significantly longer than their hind legs, and with their long necks, they looked like giraffes. They were named after their least impressive feature as Brachiosaurus is Greek for arm lizard. The length of a brachiosaurus was about 85 feet from snout to tail.
5. Half of the Chicago water tower
The Chicago Water Tower is an iconic building that was one of the few buildings that survived the great Chicago fire. A German Immigrant fireman covered the building with wet blankets to protect it from the fire. The building stands at 154 feet, meaning that it is roughly two times as tall as 82 feet.
6. 10 Horses
Horses are fascinating creatures as they cannot breathe through their mouths or burp as humans do. That is because their digestive system is a one-way street. Once food goes down, it won’t come back up. Additionally, horses are quite long, measuring up to 8 feet in length. Therefore, you would need ten horses standing in a line to make about 80 feet.
7. Half of Arc De Triomphe
Arc de Triomphe is a monument in Paris where 12 main roads meet. It is the biggest public square in the city even though there is no communal area to hang out. The monument that took 30 years to build is about 160 feet tall. Therefore, 82 feet is about half the length of Arc de Triomphe.
8. A Quarter of A City Block
The longest city block is the 1500 Block on Virginia Street. Additionally, Salt Lake City has the most blocks and the widest streets in the U.S. A standard city block is just about 330 feet wide. Therefore, a quarter would be approximately 82 feet.
9. 3 Orca Whales
Many animals retain their ability to reproduce until they die. However, the Orca whale goes through menopause just like humans do. That is because both male and female Orcas stay in their pods throughout their adulthood and don’t have many chances to breed.
Orca whales can weigh up to 12,000 pounds and grow 26 feet long. Therefore, three adult Orca Whales would make just about 80 feet in a line.
10. 2 Train Decks
Did you know that trains depended on gravity and rope to move in the early days? The very first American locomotive was so slow it lost to a horse. However, today, modern bullet trains travel up to 300mph. Train decks measure between 40 feet and 60 inches in length.
However, most of them are about 50 feet long. Therefore, two of the 40-foot decks will make 80 feet.
11. 4 Gorillas
Gorillas have a lot of features like humans. They have hands and feet that include thumbs and big toes. Also, some gorillas in captivity have learned to communicate with humans through sign language. Gorillas grow to be about 6 feet tall. Therefore, four gorillas stacked would make 24 meters or 80 feet.
12. 2 Extension Ladders
Guinness World Records recorded the longest ladder in the world to be 135 feet long. It was made of wood and had 120 rungs. However, extension ladders measure between 16 feet and 40 feet long. a forty-foot ladder is quite tall as two of these on top of each other would make 80 feet.
In conclusion, even though 82 feet is not a common measurement, it is possible to compare it to common things. Visualizing 3 Orca whales lengthwise might not be easy, but a quarter of a city block is familiar. Therefore, refer to the length of 3 London buses the next time you want to figure out 82 feet.
The dimension of stuff has been an interest of mine ever since I was a child. What I believe is most fascinating about the dimension of stuff is how extremely long, tall and wide some objects are both on earth and in the universe.