# Explain how a student could estimate the thickness of a single sheet of paper using only a ruler, giving a value you would expect.

> AQA A-Level Physics (7408) — 3.1.3 Estimation of Physical Quantities · Explain · 5 marks

## Mark scheme (5 marks)

1. Cannot measure one sheet directly / a single sheet is too thin to measure accurately with a ruler
2. Stack / pile a large number of sheets together (e.g. 100 sheets)
3. Measure the total thickness of the stack with the ruler
4. Divide the total thickness by the number of sheets
5. States a sensible expected value in the range 0.05 mm to 0.15 mm (or equivalent e.g. 5 × 10⁻⁵ m to 1.5 × 10⁻⁴ m)

## Key terms

- [thickness](https://www.gradenine.co.uk/glossary/thickness)

## Related

- [Revision notes for AQA A-Level Physics (7408)](https://www.gradenine.co.uk/learn)
- [How to answer "Explain" questions](https://www.gradenine.co.uk/tools/command-word-cheatsheet)
- [Practice this with AI marking (free)](https://www.gradenine.co.uk/start)

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Source: [GradeNine](https://www.gradenine.co.uk/q/explain-how-a-student-could-estimate-bf6af4b7) · Published by Druglandscape Ltd.