Length4.8 tenths m
20 quadrillionthsVoyager 1 distances
480Poppy seeds
3.2Hot dogs
Average adult femur, about 26% of body height
Photo from Wikimedia Commons
Femur (Thigh Bone)
The longest, strongest bone in the human body/The Human Body
The femur is the longest and strongest bone in the human body, averaging about 48 cm in length and 350 grams in mass. It can withstand compressive forces of up to 4,000 newtons before fracturing, roughly 30 times your body weight. It's also the most commonly fractured long bone, usually because it takes a lot of force to break one, and the events that supply that force tend to be dramatic.
Measurements
Mass3.5 tenths kg
1.2 millionSpider silk strands
2.3 tenthsTextbooks
1.2 thousandthsFull bathtubs
Average adult dry femur
Force to fracture4,000 N
8High-fives
5.7 tenthsSedan engines
Compressive load; varies with age and bone density
Head diameter4.8 hundredths m
2.3 hundredthsSofas
774 millionHelium atoms
2 hundredthsForklift lengths
The ball that fits into the hip socket
Shaft diameter (mid)2.8 hundredths m
1.2 hundredthsForklift lengths
6.6 thousandthsTrampoline diameters
1.5 tenthsPencils
Mid-diaphysis, about 28 mm
Cortical bone thickness6 thousandths m
13.5 billionthsGrand Canyon lengths
1.2 thousandthsBalance beam lengths
820 millionthsSoccer goal widths
Compact bone layer, about 6 mm at mid-shaft