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Tape Correction (Temperature) Calculator

Work out tape correction (temperature) instantly with clear inputs, formula shown and shareable results.

About Tape Correction (Temperature) Calculator

A steel tape standardised at 20 °C is longer when hot, so it reads short and the correction is positive. The magnitude is the coefficient of expansion, about 11.5 microstrain per degree for steel, times the temperature difference times the measured length: fifteen degrees over a hundred metres is 17 millimetres.

Formula

Temperature correction

Correction = alpha x (T measured - T standard) x measured length

Worked example

With the default values below, Tape Correction (Temperature) Calculator returns Temperature correction of 0.017250. Change any input above and every figure here is recalculated in your browser.

Inputs used

Measured lengthminimum 0.001 m
100 m
Temperature during measurementaccepts -40–70 °C
35 °C
Standardisation temperatureaccepts -40–70 °C
20 °C
Coefficient of thermal expansionminimum 0.1 µstrain/°C
11.5 µstrain/°C

Results

Temperature correction
0.017250 m
Corrected length
100.01725 m
Correction in millimetres
17.250 mm
Correction per kilometre
172.50 mm/km

Step by step

  1. 1Values used
  2. 2Temperature correction
  3. 3Temperature correction= 0.017250 m
  4. 4Corrected length= 100.01725 m
  5. 5Correction in millimetres= 17.250 mm
  6. 6Correction per kilometre= 172.50 mm/km

Assumptions and limits

  • The result is derived only from the 4 inputs listed above. Anything not among them is not part of the calculation.
  • In particular, this calculator does not take inflation, tax, fees or charges or compounding frequency into account.
  • Figures are rounded for display to 6 decimal places, so totals built from several rounded parts can differ slightly from the unrounded arithmetic.

How these calculators are built and tested is described on the Methodology page. If a figure looks wrong, please report it.

Frequently Asked Questions

How is the Tape Correction (Temperature) figure worked out?

Correction = alpha x (T measured - T standard) x measured length. A steel tape standardised at 20 °C is longer when hot, so it reads short and the correction is positive.

Is the tape temperature the same as the air temperature?

Usually not. A dark tape in direct sun can be fifteen degrees above air temperature, which is why precise taping uses a tape thermometer clipped to the tape itself.

What values do I need to enter?

This calculator takes 4 inputs: Measured length, Temperature during measurement, Standardisation temperature, Coefficient of thermal expansion. The pre-filled defaults are a realistic worked example — replace them with your own site or project figures.

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