SortStack #447 — 2027-08-30

By size · Order from shortest to longest.

1. A single E. coli bacterium 2 µm

   About 2 micrometres long, E. coli divides every 20 minutes, so one cell can become billions inside a single day.

2. A grain of rice 7 mm

   Rice feeds more than half the planet, and a single plant can yield thousands of these grains.

3. A concert grand piano 2.7 m

   A grand piano's strings pull with a combined tension of around 20 tonnes, held by a single cast-iron frame.

4. A one-person kayak 3.4 m

   The kayak was invented by Arctic peoples thousands of years ago, sealed with animal skin to stay watertight.

5. The Washington Monument 165 m

   Look closely and the stone changes shade partway up, marking where construction paused for over 20 years.

6. The island of Manhattan (length) 21.5 km

   The entire island was famously bought from Native inhabitants in 1626 for goods worth a tiny sum.

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