Finding The Width Of Your Monitor: A Quick Guide

Knowing the size of your monitor is important for several reasons. It can help you determine the quality of your viewing experience, ensure you have the right setup, and inform your decision when buying or upgrading a new monitor. The size of a computer monitor is typically measured diagonally, from the top corner to the opposite bottom corner, in inches. This measurement is different from screen resolution, which is measured in pixels.

To find the width of your existing monitor, you can either manually measure it or use mathematical calculations. Here are the steps for both methods:

Manually Measuring Your Monitor:

- Use a measuring tape or a ruler to measure the diagonal length of your monitor screen.

- Start measuring from the top-left corner and extend the tape diagonally to the bottom-right corner. Alternatively, you can start from the top-right corner and pull the tape straight to the bottom-left corner.

- Ensure that you only measure the screen and do not include the bezel or casing around it.

- The diagonal measurement you obtain is the width of your monitor.

Using Mathematical Calculations:

- Measure the width and height of your monitor screen in the same units (e.g., inches or centimetres).

- Multiply the width and height measurements to get the screen size or area of the screen.

- If you want to find the diagonal screen size, you can use the Pythagorean theorem. Square the width and height measurements, add them together, and then find the square root of the sum. The result is the diagonal screen size.

Using a tape measure or ruler

Firstly, ensure you have a tape measure or ruler that uses imperial measurements. Monitor sizes are standardised using imperial units, so this will make your job easier. If you only have access to a metric ruler, you can convert the measurements to imperial by dividing your result in centimetres by 2.54 to get inches.

Now, place the tape measure or ruler at the top left corner of your screen. Only measure the actual display screen, excluding the bezels or plastic casing around the screen.

Next, stretch the tape measure or ruler diagonally to the bottom right corner of the screen. Again, only measure the screen portion of the monitor. If you are using a piece of string or paper instead, ensure that it is pulled taut.

The number at the end of the tape measure, ruler, or string is the diagonal length of your monitor. This is the standard way to measure monitor size.

Finally, you can round the diagonal measurement to the nearest inch to find your monitor's size. For example, if the diagonal distance is 23.5 inches, you can round up and say your monitor size is 24 inches.

And that's it! You now know the width of your existing monitor.

Using the Pythagorean theorem

To find the width of an existing monitor, you can use the Pythagorean theorem, which states that in a right-angled triangle, the square of the hypotenuse (the side opposite the right angle) is equal to the sum of the squares of the other two sides.

In the context of finding the width of a monitor, you can use the Pythagorean theorem if you know the diagonal length of the screen and the height of the screen. The diagonal length of the screen is often provided in product descriptions, and you can measure the height of the screen with a ruler.

Let's say you have a monitor with a diagonal length of 42 inches and a height of 9 inches. By applying the Pythagorean theorem, you can calculate the width as follows:

First, square the height and the diagonal length:

• Height^2 = 9^2 = 81
• Diagonal^2 = 42^2 = 1764

Next, add the two squared values:

1764 + 81 = 1845

Finally, take the square root of the sum to find the width:

Sqrt(1845) = ~42.96 inches

So, the width of the monitor is approximately 42.96 inches.

You can also use the Pythagorean theorem to find the diagonal length of a monitor if you know the height and width. Simply square the height and width, add the two values, and then find the square root of the sum. This will give you the diagonal length.

The Pythagorean theorem is a useful tool for finding unknown side lengths in right triangles, and it can be applied to various situations, including determining monitor dimensions.

Finding the aspect ratio

The aspect ratio of a monitor is the proportional relationship between its width and height. It is usually displayed as two numbers separated by a colon, such as 16:9. This means that for every 16 pixels on the horizontal axis, there are 9 pixels on the vertical axis.

To find the aspect ratio of your monitor, you will first need to identify the resolution of the monitor. You can usually find this information in the product specifications or settings of your computer.

Once you have the resolution, you can measure the width and height of the screen in pixels or inches. Ensure that if you are measuring in pixels, the monitor is set to its native resolution.

Finally, divide the width by the height to get the aspect ratio. For example, a resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels would result in an aspect ratio of 16:9 (1920 divided by 1080 equals 1.78).

You can also use online aspect ratio calculators or tools to determine the aspect ratio of your monitor. These tools can be especially helpful if you are trying to measure the aspect ratio of a curved screen, as they can take into account the curvature rating, which indicates the radius of a circle that encompasses the screen.

Additionally, if you are using a Windows or Mac computer, you can find the aspect ratio by checking your display settings. On a Windows PC, go to "Display settings" and then "Advanced scaling settings." On a Mac, go to "About This Mac" in the Apple menu, click on "System Report," and then find your display under the "Graphics/Displays" section.

Knowing the aspect ratio of your monitor is important when buying or upgrading to a new one, as it needs to match the aspect ratio of your video signal. It also helps you determine the optimal viewing distance for your screen, reducing eye strain and neck pain associated with extended computer use.

Checking the model number

To check the model number of your monitor, you can try the following methods:

For Windows Users:

• Go to the Control Panel, then Appearance and Personalization. Here, you can find the "Adjust screen resolution" option, which should provide some basic information about your monitor.
• If this doesn't work, try checking the Windows Device Manager. If it only says "Generic Monitor", then check for specific drivers via Windows Update.
• Use a flashlight to carefully inspect the monitor's exterior for any identifying marks, including stickers or labels. Some LCD monitors with built-in on-screen adjustment menus may include the model number within the menu.
• Use the command line utility wmic to get the monitor make and model information. Open the Command Prompt (with administrator privileges) and use the following command:

```

Wmic desktopmonitor get Caption, MonitorType, MonitorManufacturer, Name

```

For Mac Users:

• Click on the Apple menu in the top-left corner of your screen and choose "About This Mac".
• In the window that appears, click on "System Report" to view detailed hardware and software information.
• In the System Report window, scroll down to the "Graphics/Displays" section and click on it to view information about all displays connected to your Mac, including internal and external monitors.

For Dell Monitor Users:

If you have a Dell monitor, you can find the service tag or serial number on the back of the monitor or on a pull-out card by the USB ports. For older monitors purchased before 2016, the service tag may not be available. In this case, you can provide the tag from your PC if the monitor was bought as part of a system.

Reviewing the specifications

The first step in finding the width of your monitor is to review its specifications. This can be done by checking the documentation that came with your computer, such as the manual or any stickers on the device. The specifications should include the monitor's size, typically measured in inches. If you cannot find the information you need in the documentation, you can try searching for it online. Simply type the make and model number of your computer or monitor into a search engine, and you should be able to find the detailed specifications, including the screen size.

In addition to the width, the specifications may also include the diagonal measurement of the screen, the aspect ratio, and the resolution. The aspect ratio is the relationship between the height and width of the screen, usually presented as two numbers separated by a colon, such as 16:9. The resolution refers to the number of pixels on the screen and can impact the sharpness and detail of the image. A larger monitor usually means more pixels and a sharper image.

If you are unable to find the width of your monitor in the specifications, you may need to calculate it using the diagonal measurement and the aspect ratio. This can be done using the Pythagorean theorem, which states that in a right-angled triangle, the square of the hypotenuse is equal to the sum of the squares of the other two sides. In this case, the hypotenuse is the diagonal measurement of the screen. By measuring the width and height of the screen and applying the Pythagorean theorem, you can calculate the diagonal and then use the aspect ratio to find the width.

For example, let's say you have a monitor with a diagonal measurement of 24 inches and an aspect ratio of 16:9. Using the Pythagorean theorem, you can calculate the width as follows:

• Start by squaring the width and height of the screen. In this case, the width is 16 units (from the aspect ratio) and the height is 9 units (also from the aspect ratio). So, 16^2 = 256 and 9^2 = 81.
• Add the two numbers together: 256 + 81 = 337.
• Take the square root of the sum to find the diagonal: √337 = 18.35.
• Now that you have the diagonal, you can use similar triangles to set up a proportion and find the width. For example, if the diagonal is 18.35 inches, and the aspect ratio is 16:9, then the width is (16/9) 18.35 inches = 15.48 inches.

So, for a monitor with a diagonal measurement of 24 inches and an aspect ratio of 16:9, the width would be approximately 15.5 inches. Keep in mind that this calculation assumes that the aspect ratio is based on the width and height of the entire screen, including any bezels or borders. If the aspect ratio is based on the viewable area of the screen, excluding the bezels, the calculation may be slightly different.

Frequently asked questions