What is a vernier gauge?

A plain, dial or digital vernier (or caliper) will give a direct reading of a distance measured, to high degree of accuracy.

• One of the most useful measuring devices, used for generations in many types of industry
• All are functionally identical, with different ways of reading the result. These calipers comprise a calibrated scale with a fixed jaw, and another jaw with a pointer, that slides along the scale
• The distance between the jaws is then read in different ways for the three types
• Verniers can measure internal dimensions (upper jaws) and external dimensions (lower jaws ) and in many cases depth by the use of a probe that is attached to the movable head and slides along the center of the body
• This probe is slender and can get into deep grooves that may prove difficult for other measuring tools
• Many vernier gauges include metric measurements on the lower part of the scale and imperial measurements on the upper, or vice versa
• Verniers differ in their precision of measurement. Most commonly, verniers can measure to within 0.01mm (10 micrometers) or one thousandth of an inch