Small wonders

Honeybee vs US dime

What are they, and what does the difference actually look like?

Two things. One honest scale.

Meet the pair

What these two things are

Honeybee

A honeybee is a social insect that lives in a colony and gathers nectar and pollen from flowers.

1.5 cmBody length

US dime

A US dime is a ten-cent coin, the smallest denomination in US currency above the penny and nickel.

1.791 cmDiameter

The diameter of US dime is about 1.19 times the body length of Honeybee.

True scale
01
Honeybee1.5 cmBody length
02
US dime1.791 cmDiameter
Both marked spans share one linear scale. Artwork keeps its proportions; poses and surface detail are illustrative.
Measurements, assumptions & sources +

Honeybee

A 15 mm worker honeybee (Apis mellifera), at the upper end of the cited 10–15 mm worker range. Body length excludes antennae, legs and wings. The 100 mg mass is a separate illustrative assumption.

University of Michigan — Apis mellifera

The marked body length is calibrated. Unmeasured illustration details are representative.

US dime

17.91 mm nominal diameter; 2.268 g.

US Mint — circulating coin specifications

The marked diameter is calibrated. Unmeasured illustration details are representative.

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Measurement details

Why these numbers?

The visual compares body length with diameter. The records below preserve each value’s basis and caveats.

Honeybee

1.5 cm

Body length · representative · range 1 cm–1.5 cm

A 15 mm worker honeybee (Apis mellifera), at the upper end of the cited 10–15 mm worker range. Body length excludes antennae, legs and wings. The 100 mg mass is a separate illustrative assumption.

US dime

1.791 cm

Diameter · specified

17.91 mm nominal diameter; 2.268 g.

Comparing
Body length ↔ Diameter
Relative size
US dime is larger on this measurement by a factor of about 1.19. US dime's selected measurement is approximately 19.4% greater than Honeybee's.

How to read the visual

The labelled spans and stored measurements determine the scale; unmeasured illustration details do not.

  • Honeybee uses a 1.5 cm central value within a recorded range of 1 cm–1.5 cm.
  • Honeybee is labelled representative; treat the displayed value as a comparison anchor rather than false precision.

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