(Un)interesting factoid #32795

[El Salsero Gringo]

I discovered this today and felt compelled by a strange force to share.

16 sheets of A4 makes up exactly 1 square metre of paper.

So if you want to what grade a pile of paper stock is, weigh out 16 sheets of A4. The answer is the weight of the paper (in 'gsm'.)

[Msfab]

Originally Posted by El Salsero Gringo

I discovered this today and felt compelled by a strange force to share.

16 sheets of A4 makes up exactly 1 square metre of paper.

So if you want to what grade a pile of paper stock is, weigh out 16 sheets of A4. The answer is the weight of the paper (in 'gsm'.)

Sorry ESG, but doesnt 1 sq metre refer to a distance/space. So how does that then equal weight?

[TheTramp]

gsm is grams per square metre.....

[bigdjiver]

gsm = grammes per sq metre?

[TheTramp]

Originally Posted by bigdjiver

gsm = grammes per sq metre?

Ummm. Didn't I do that, about 21 minutes ago?

[ducasi]

GSM is Global System for Mobile Communications

[Cruella]

Originally Posted by El Salsero Gringo

I discovered this today and felt compelled by a strange force to share.

16 sheets of A4 makes up exactly 1 square metre of paper.

So if you want to what grade a pile of paper stock is, weigh out 16 sheets of A4. The answer is the weight of the paper (in 'gsm'.)

You really should get out more.

[bigdjiver]

Originally Posted by TheTramp

Ummm. Didn't I do that, about 21 minutes ago?

Yes, you did. Could'n't you remember?

That's what comes of opening all of the interesting threads and then ploughing through them.

Actually this info gives an easy way of obtaining a weight that involves some fraction of a gramme with just some sheets of known quality of paper and some scissors.

[El Salsero Gringo]

Originally Posted by bigdjiver

Yes, you did. Could'n't you remember?

That's what comes of opening all of the interesting threads and then ploughing through them.

Actually this info gives an easy way of obtaining a weight that involves some fraction of a gramme with just some sheets of known quality of paper and some scissors.

Don't forget the empty lavatory-roll and some sticky-backed plastic.

[Ghost]

Originally Posted by Msfab

Sorry ESG, but doesnt 1 sq metre refer to a distance/space. So how does that then equal weight?

Can't have grammes per square metre as a square meter has no width, hence no volume hence no mass! Presuambly there's an assumption that all paper is of equal width to get around this.

And anyway weight is measured in Newtons, not grammes - that's a measurement of mass

Take care,
Christopher
Currently frustrated by pedantic GCSE science boards

[bigdjiver]

Originally Posted by Ghost

Can't have grammes per square metre as a square meter has no width, hence no volume hence no mass! Presuambly there's an assumption that all paper is of equal width to get around this.

And anyway weight is measured in Newtons, not grammes - that's a measurement of mass

Take care,
Christopher
Currently frustrated by pedantic GCSE science boards

Area = length * width
A metre is length, a sqare metre is area. e.g. 1 m * 1 m
One measure of the quality of a paper is the gsm, as the mass of a given area is related to its thickness and its density. The less the mass of the paper, the flimsier it is likely to be.

[El Salsero Gringo]

Originally Posted by Ghost

Can't have grammes per square metre as a square meter has no width, hence no volume hence no mass! Presuambly there's an assumption that all paper is of equal width to get around this.

Of course you can have grammes per square metre. Take a square metre of paper and measure its mass. That's the mass per square metre for that paper stock. And is the standard measure for 'weight' of paper (not Physics style weight - but 'weight of paper'.)

Or, you could have a measure of mass per metre - for chain or rope for instance. Take a metre of rope and find its mass. Voila.

Good luck with the GCSEs.

[Andy McGregor]

WOW! I owned a print business for 10 years and never knew that! And we used to occasionally send off paper for testing when we thought the paper merchant was having us on about the weight. All the time I could have cut the paper down to A4 and weighed 4 sheets on the really accurate ink scales.

[Barry Shnikov]

Originally Posted by Ghost

Can't have grammes per square metre as a square meter has no width, hence no volume hence no mass! Presuambly there's an assumption that all paper is of equal width to get around this.

And anyway weight is measured in Newtons, not grammes - that's a measurement of mass

Take care,
Christopher
Currently frustrated by pedantic GCSE science boards

Well, apart from the obvious reply DUH!!

Paper certainly has width, as in A4 = 297mm long by 210 wide. However, conceding that you meant to say paper has no thickness, that in any event is wrong. Otherwise, how do you account for the fact that 500 sheets of paper make up a pretty hefty block with three very healthy dimensions.

Finally, as any fule kno including that twerp Molesworth, it is mass that is measured in newtons, weight is indeed measured in grams.

Write 100 times "The effect of humorous posts is somewhat lessened by hapless inaccuracy".

[El Salsero Gringo]

Originally Posted by Andy McGregor

WOW! I owned a print business for 10 years and never knew that! And we used to occasionally send off paper for testing when we thought the paper merchant was having us on about the weight. All the time I could have cut the paper down to A4 and weighed 4 sheets on the really accurate ink scales.

Of course, you could have just measured the sheets that you were supplied with and weighed them instead. You could even fold them up nice and small so they fit on the itty-bitty pan. I'm told that folding doesn't change the weight.

Originally Posted by Barry S

The effect of humorous posts is somewhat lessened by hapless inaccuracy.

well, quite.

[Andy McGregor]

Originally Posted by El Salsero Gringo

Of course, you could have just measured the sheets that you were supplied with and weighed them instead. You could even fold them up nice and small so they fit on the itty-bitty pan. I'm told that folding doesn't change the weight

But the sheets were SRA2 and the maths was beyond my printers. It was them that sent the sheets for testing if they thought the paper merchant got it wrong - I was not involved in the decision at all, I just paid - and paid and paid...

I now have nothing to do with printing, and my life is enriched by the knowledge that I never will

[Barry Shnikov]

Originally Posted by El Salsero Gringo

I'm told that folding doesn't change the weight.

Shome Heisenbergian unshertainty here, shurely?


Or...(prepare for printing joke...)

Shome Heidelbergian unshertainty...


(Aye thangyow!)

[ChrisA]

Originally Posted by Barry Shnikov

Finally... it is mass that is measured in newtons, weight is indeed measured in grams.

Erm...

...care to just check that Mr Shnikov?

Before I start quoting other bits of your post, like "twerp" and "fule"?

[David Franklin]

Originally Posted by El Salsero Gringo

Of course, you could have just measured the sheets that you were supplied with and weighed them instead. You could even fold them up nice and small so they fit on the itty-bitty pan. I'm told that folding doesn't change the weight.well, quite.

Just be careful if two guys called Banach and Tarski come round and offer to cut them into pieces for easier weighing...

[Ghost]

Originally Posted by El Salsero Gringo

Good luck with the GCSEs.

Thanks,
Christopher