The measurement 1/16 of an inch appears on measuring tapes and rulers to calculate dimensions that are too small to express in whole inches or larger fractions. The general formula for converting from a larger quantity to a smaller one is to multiply the larger quantity (inch) by the number of smaller units (16ths) per unit of the larger quantity.
Write down two values you want to convert from inches to 16ths of an inch, for example, 0.5 and 5.
Determine the number of smaller units per unit of the larger quantity. In this case, there are 16 units of smaller quantity (1/16 inch) in one unit of the larger quantity.
Multiply the larger-quantity amount by the number of smaller units per unit of the larger quantity. Multiplying 16 by 0.5 gives you 8, so 8/16 equals 0.5 inches. Multiplying 16 by 5 gives you 80, meaning 80/16 equals 5 inches.
References
About the Author
Robert Chai has been freelancing since 2009. Primarily, he has focused on preparing and editing technical documents pertaining to the telecom, banking and insurance industries. He also provides consultancy in quality assurance and software testing. He currently holds a Master of Science degree in management information systems from the University of Toronto.