NICET - Highway Construction Inspection Practice Exam

On a hot day, if a distance of 250 feet is measured, what will the tape measure show?

1. Exactly 250 feet

2. More than 250 feet

3. Less than 250 feet

4. Varies based on material

The correct answer is: Less than 250 feet

When measuring distances, temperature has a significant impact on the length of tape measures, especially those made of materials such as steel. On a hot day, the tape expands due to thermal expansion, which means that the material will lengthen. However, if a person is measuring a distance of 250 feet, they typically will hold or measure the tape according to the calibrated length, which does not account for this expansion. As the tape expands in heat, the measurement taken might show a distance that visually appears longer than what is actually the intended distance due to the heat affecting the tape’s material. However, it is important to note that what is being measured is still the tape's length as calibrated at standard temperature; thus, the tape measure reading might show a distance less than 250 feet when accounting for the ambient conditions and how the person is measuring. This results in the tape potentially indicating a measurement that could be less than the actual intended distance of 250 feet due to the interplay of thermal conditions affecting the tape itself and the manner in which measurements are typically taken and calibrated.