SortStack #1259 — 2029-11-19

By size · Order from shortest to longest.

1. A classic incandescent light bulb 11 cm

   Its glowing filament reaches around 2,500 degrees Celsius, yet wastes most of its energy as heat, not light.

2. A Boeing 737 airliner 34 m

   The 737 is the best-selling jet airliner in history, with one taking off somewhere on Earth every few seconds.

3. The Taj Mahal 73 m

   Its white marble appears to change colour through the day, glowing pink at dawn and golden under moonlight.

4. The Gateway Arch, St. Louis 195 m

   Its elegant curve is a catenary, the exact shape a hanging chain makes, flipped upside down for strength.

5. The English Channel (narrowest crossing) 33.8 km

   The first person to swim it, in 1875, took nearly 22 hours and slathered himself in porpoise grease for warmth.

6. The Great Barrier Reef (length) 2.3K km

   It is the largest living structure on Earth, built by tiny coral animals and visible from space.

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