How Big Is a Piece of Paper Corner to Corner? A4 and US Letter Size Explained
Discover the diagonal measurements of standard A4 and US Letter paper sizes, calculated using the Pythagorean theorem.
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The size of a standard piece of paper corner to corner, or diagonally, is approximately 14.3 inches (36.4 cm) for A4 size paper (8.27 × 11.69 inches), and 17 inches (about 43.2 cm) for US Letter size (8.5 × 11 inches). This measurement is derived using the Pythagorean theorem to calculate the diagonal of a rectangle, providing a straightforward way to understand the size of paper formats beyond their width and height.
FAQs & Answers
- What is the diagonal measurement of A4 paper? The diagonal of an A4 paper measures approximately 14.3 inches (36.4 cm).
- How do you calculate the diagonal size of a paper sheet? You use the Pythagorean theorem: by squaring the width and height, adding them together, and then taking the square root of that sum.
- What is the diagonal length of US Letter paper? US Letter size paper has a diagonal length of about 17 inches (43.2 cm).