Zoom out from an average adult to Big Ben
Big Ben is too big to show next to an average adult in one picture, so here it is in 2 steps. Each step is drawn to its own scale and zooms out from the step before.
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Step 1 of 2 Human → Megalodon
A megalodon is about 8.6–15 times as long as an average adult is tall.
Step 1: Human and Megalodon at the same scale. -
Step 2 of 2 Megalodon → Big Ben (Elizabeth Tower)
Big Ben is about 4–6.4 times as tall as a megalodon is long.
Step 2: Megalodon and Big Ben (Elizabeth Tower) at the same scale.
Dimensions
| Measurement | Metric | Imperial | Notes | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Height of the Elizabeth Tower | 96 m | 315 ft | Height of the tower as given by UK Parliament (11 floors) | [1] |
| Clock dial diameter | 7 m | 23 ft | Diameter of each of the four clock dials | [1] |
| Weight of the Great Bell | 13.7 t | 15.1 US tons | The bell called Big Ben itself, not the tower | [1] |
About Big Ben
Big Ben is strictly the Great Bell inside the clock tower at the north end of the Palace of Westminster, though the name is now used for the clock, the bell and the tower together. Work on the tower began in 1843 as part of Charles Barry's rebuilding of the palace after the 1834 fire, and the Great Clock started running in 1859. The tower was called the Clock Tower until 2012, when it was renamed the Elizabeth Tower for Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee. UK Parliament gives its height as 96 metres over 11 floors.
- It takes 334 steps to reach the belfry where Big Ben hangs, and another 65 to reach the Ayrton Light, which shines when Parliament is sitting. [1]
- The tower was built with 850 cubic metres of stone and 2,600 cubic metres of brick. [1]
- Each copper minute hand is 4.2 m long and weighs 100 kg. [1]
- The Clock Tower was renamed the Elizabeth Tower in 2012 to mark Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee. [2]
- The Great Clock began ticking on 31 May 1859, and the bell was first heard striking on 11 July that year. [2]
How many fit?
- ≈ 57 × Human · height lined up end to end match the Big Ben (Elizabeth Tower) · height of the elizabeth tower
- ≈ 160 × Human · body mass on the scales weigh as much as Big Ben (Elizabeth Tower) · weight of the great bell
- ≈ 2.4 × Boeing 737 · length lined up end to end match the Big Ben (Elizabeth Tower) · height of the elizabeth tower
Counts divide one sourced figure by another. "End to end" uses each object's main measurement; weight and volume rows appear only when both figures are sourced.
How it compares
- 57× Big Ben is about 57 times as tall as an average adult. See side by side
- 2.4× Big Ben is about 2.4 times as tall as a Boeing 737 is long. See side by side
- 1.6× Big Ben is about 1.6 times as tall as an NHL ice hockey rink is long. See side by side
- 1× Big Ben is about as tall as the Statue of Liberty. See side by side
- 1/1.3 SpaceX's Starship is about 1.3 times as tall as Big Ben. See side by side
- 1/2 The Gateway Arch is about 2 times as tall as Big Ben. See side by side
Factors compare the height of the elizabeth tower of Big Ben with each object’s own main measurement (height for a human). Where a size varies, the factor is given as a range.
Notes on these figures
- UK Parliament gives the height as a round 96 metres and does not say exactly which points it is measured between.
- No official width or total mass of the tower was found, so only the height axis is used for the drawing.
- The mass listed is the Great Bell's, not the tower's.
Sources
- UK Parliament, Facts and figures: Big Ben and Elizabeth Tower. Accessed 25 September 2026.
- UK Parliament, A brief history of Big Ben and Elizabeth Tower. Accessed 25 September 2026.