SortStack #3289 — 2035-06-11

By size · Order from shortest to longest.

1. A ladybird beetle 1 cm

   A single ladybird can eat 5,000 aphids in its lifetime, making it a gardener's favourite predator.

2. A new wooden pencil 18 cm

   A single pencil can draw a line roughly 56 kilometres long before the graphite runs out.

3. A ten-pin bowling pin 38 cm

   Pins are coated in tough plastic and weigh just enough to scatter dramatically yet stand back up reliably.

4. A London double-decker bus 10.9 m

   The classic Routemaster's open rear platform let passengers hop on and off between stops, a hallmark of old London.

5. A yellow school bus 13.7 m

   That specific shade, 'school bus yellow', was chosen in 1939 because it stays visible in dim dawn light.

6. 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.

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