Brittnie-Learning to use a caliper

      Since I have to take really small measurements of pieces of coral, I will have to use a caliper, which takes extremely precise measurements. There are three types of Vernier calipers: dial, digital, and the manual caliper, which I will be using for my project. 

      When using a caliper, you first need to make sure the item you’re measuring is clean, so you’re not measuring the dirt or grime buildup on the item. You want to make sure that the knob at the top is loosened, turning it counter clockwise. 
      
     

     
      Next, place the jaws around the item, and tighten the knob at the top, turning clockwise. On the caliper, there is a Vernier scale along with a main scale of centimeters and inches. You measure the amount of millimeters to the left of the number 0 on the Vernier scale, then find the line on the Vernier scale that aligns with a number on the centimeters scale. For example, if the tenth line on the Vernier scale was aligned with a number on the centimeters on the main scale, it would be 1 millimeter, but if the fifth line was aligned with a number on the centimeters on the main scale, it would be 0.5 millimeters. Finally you add the amount of millimeters to the left of the zero and the amount you got from the line aligning with a number. You can also use a caliper to measure depth, using the depth rod, and the inner measurement of something with the inner jaws. As you can see by the picture, the sixth line on the Vernier scale is aligned with a number, making the measurement 6 mm + 0.6 mm = 6.6 mm.