Size and Scale: from Atoms to Giants

An interactive ladder of sizes. Zoom through 23 objects, or pick any two and see how many times bigger one is.

Compare two objects

Every object, from smallest to largest

Select any object to jump to it on the slider. Bars use a logarithmic scale, so each step to the right is a much bigger jump than it looks.

Sources

• Wikipedia. Orders of magnitude (length). Accessed October 8, 2026.
• StatPearls (NCBI Bookshelf). Genetics, DNA Packaging. 2023-05-29. Accessed October 8, 2026.
• NIGMS (NIH). Take a Tour of Your Cells' Organelles!. 2021-03-17. Accessed October 8, 2026.
• eLife (via PubMed Central). SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) by the numbers. 2020. Accessed October 8, 2026.
• Wikipedia. Bacteriophage T4. Accessed October 8, 2026.
• NCBI Bookshelf (Molecular Cell Biology, 4th ed.). Viruses: Structure, Function, and Uses. 2000. Accessed October 8, 2026.
• Wikipedia. Escherichia coli. Accessed October 8, 2026.
• NIGMS (NIH). Egg comparison (Image Gallery). Accessed October 8, 2026.
• Smithsonian Institution. What Species Will Be Earth's Last Survivors?. 2017-07-19. Accessed October 8, 2026.
• CDC National Center for Health Statistics. Anthropometric Reference Data for Children and Adults: United States, 2015-2018. 2021-01. Accessed October 8, 2026.
• San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance. Giraffe. Accessed October 8, 2026.
• NOAA Fisheries. Sperm Whale. 2026-09-22. Accessed October 8, 2026.
• NOAA Fisheries. Blue Whale. 2026-09-22. Accessed October 8, 2026.
• National Park Service. General Sherman Tree (Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks). 2025-11-25. Accessed October 8, 2026.