Question

The ancient Egyptians used a measurement called a cubit to build the pyramids. A cubit was the distance from the bent elbow to the end of the middle finger. Using your own self as a measurement, find out how many inches in a cubit. If a pyramid is \[100\] cubits long about how many inches is that?

Answer 1

Hint: To solve this question, we will start with finding the distance between elbow to the end of the middle finger. Now we know that cubit is the distance from the bent elbow to the end of the middle finger. After getting the distance from the bent elbow to the end of the middle finger we will find the value of a pyramid which is \[100\] cubits, then after converting into inches, we will get our required answer.

Complete step-by-step answer:
We have been given that the ancient Egyptians used a measurement called a cubit to build the pyramids. A cubit was the distance from the bent elbow to the end of the middle finger. We need to find the inches in a cubit using our own self as a measurement and using that we will find the measurement of a pyramid which is \[100\] cubits long into inches.
We know that a cubit is the distance from the bent elbow to the end of the middle finger. Now, it is given to use our own self as a measurement to find out how many inches in a cubit.
So, on measuring myself I find out that the distance from the elbow to the end of the middle finger is \[18\] inches.
So, according to that $1$ cubit is equal to \[18\]inches.
Now, if a pyramid is \[100\] cubits long.
And we know that, \[1{\text{ }}cubit{\text{ }} = {\text{ }}18{\text{ }}inches\]
Then, $100{\text{ }}cubits{\text{ }} = 18 \times 100inches$
$ \Rightarrow 100{\text{ }}cubits{\text{ }} = 1800\;inches$
Thus, if a pyramid is \[100\] cubits long, then it is about \[1800\] inches long.

Note: Students should notice that every other person has different body measurement, so one might be having \[18\] inches long distance, one might be having \[16 - \] or \[17 - \]inches long distance between bent elbow to the end of the middle finger. So, the answer which we get here will be different for different people.