science

Twip

Twip is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Twip rather than just read about it. In short: A twip (abbreviating "twentieth of a point" or "twentieth of an inch point") is a typographical measurement, defined as 1⁄20 of a typographical point. One twip is 1⁄1440 inch, or 17.64 μm.

Key takeaways

Twip belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Twip to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Twip from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

A twip (abbreviating "twentieth of a point" or "twentieth of an inch point") is a typographical measurement, defined as 1⁄20 of a typographical point. One twip is 1⁄1440 inch, or 17.64 μm.

In computing Twips are screen-independent units to ensure that the proportion of screen elements are the same on all display systems. A twip is defined as being 1⁄1440 of an inch (approximately 17.64 μm). A pixel is a screen-independent unit, standing for 'picture element'. A pixel is a dot that represents the smallest graphical measurement on a screen. Twips are the default unit of measurement in Visual Basic (version 6 and earlier, prior to VB.NET). Converting between twips and screen pixels is achieved using the TwipsPerPixelX and TwipsPerPixelY properties or the ScaleX and ScaleY methods. Twips can be used with Symbian OS bitmap images for automatic scaling from bitmap pixels to device pixels. They are also used in Rich Text Format from Microsoft for platform-independent exchange and they are the base length unit in OpenOffice.org and its fork LibreOffice. Flash internally specifies most sizes in units it calls twips, but which are really 1⁄20 of a logical pixel, which is 3⁄4 of an actual twip.

See also Himetric Thousandth of an inch – a 1⁄1000 of an inch, commonly called a thou /ˈθaʊ/ (used for both singular and plural) or, particularly in North America, a mil (plural mils).

References

Sparke, Gerard; Etherington, Stephen (2000). Visual Basic Programmers' Workbook. Pearson Education Australia. ISBN 978-1-74009-445-0. MSDN Library — com.ms.wfc.ui.CoordinateSystem.TWIP Free On-Line Dictionary of Computing — twip Foundation, ActionScript 3.0 Animation, Making Things Move! by Keith Peters ISBN 978-1-59059-791-0 (pbk) Converting between twips and pixels - Ruby code

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Twip

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Twip claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Twip before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Twip ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Twip

In research: Twip appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Twip in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Twip is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Typography, Typography stubs, Units of length, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Twip outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Twip in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Twip means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Twip out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Twip in simple terms?

A twip (abbreviating "twentieth of a point" or "twentieth of an inch point") is a typographical measurement, defined as 1⁄20 of a typographical point. One twip is 1⁄1440 inch, or 17.64 μm.

Why does Twip matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Twip?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Twip.