 Welcome to Reading an Inch Micrometer. Every occupation in the machine tool industry requires the use of precision measuring tools. In this unit, you'll learn the basics of micrometer measurement. A micrometer can use metric measurements. However, this learning activity will focus on an inch micrometer. A micrometer is a precision measuring instrument that has many applications. Micrometer readings are in decimal form. Reading a micrometer can be compared to counting money. When you add all of the coins and cash together, you have a total of $3.88. If you remove the dollar sign and move the decimal point one place to the left, your measurement is 388 thousandths of an inch. Precision measurement of parts is a daily activity in machining. Understanding the proper use of a micrometer is essential for success in this field. You have completed this learning activity, reading an inch micrometer.