CSS — Lesson 10

CSS Units

Understanding different units for sizing and spacing.

By Majed Qandeel · Jul 26, 2026 · Lesson 10 of 15

CSS Units

CSS has many units for specifying sizes. Choosing the right unit affects responsiveness.

Absolute Units

/* px: pixels (most common) */ .box { width: 300px; font-size: 16px; }

Relative Units

/* em: relative to parent font size */ .parent { font-size: 16px; } .child { font-size: 1.5em; } /* = 24px */ /* rem: relative to root (html) font size */ html { font-size: 16px; } .text { font-size: 2rem; } /* = 32px */ /* %: relative to parent */ .sidebar { width: 25%; } /* vw/vh: viewport width/height */ .hero { height: 100vh; }

When to Use Each Unit

  • px: Borders, shadows, small precise values
  • rem: Font sizes, spacing (most predictable)
  • em: Component-level scaling
  • %: Responsive widths
  • vw/vh: Full-screen sections
Tip: Use rem for font sizes and px for borders. This makes your design scalable and accessible.

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