A4 paper is the standard paper size used worldwide, with the exception of countries.
A4 paper
is about 8.27 inches by 11.69 inches (21 cm by 29.7 cm). This and other
types of “A” paper sizes are based on a metric measurement system and
established through international European standards.
Basis for Different Sizes

A4
paper and a-like sizes are based on metric dimensions. An A0 piece of
paper, when spread flat, has apart of one square meter and is the
largest dimension at 84.1 cm by 118.9 cm. A0 paper, cut in half, becomes
size A1 at concerning 59.4 cm by 84.1 cm. A1 cut in half is A2, and so
on throughout A6.

This
produces paper with dissimilar sizes, but all with a 1:1.414
height-to-width part. European standards also wrap B paper sizes. B0
paper is a meter wide and 1.414 meters tall; B1 is B0 cut in semi, and
so forth through B5.
The worth of this system for paper sizes is that every size is proportionately identical to the next.
A4 paper,
for example, is 21 cm by 29.7 cm, while A3 is 29.7 cm by 42 cm. If
someone has text or images on a sheet of A4 paper and wants to increase
it onto A3 paper, it can be done fairly easily without lose any of the
content of the document. This amount, which uses the square root of two,
or 1.414, is recognized as the Lichtenberg Ratio, named for the German
physicist who initial noted its usefulness.
Size and Standardization
Paper sizes were
consistent in Germany in 1922, and adopted during Europe in 1930, via
Standard 216 of the International Standards Organization. The ISO is a
non-governmental unit that publishes international values. While the
standards have been efficient occasionally, the sizes used have been
maintained since the early on 20th Century.
Paper Weight
The mass of European paper is based on the metric scheme and is
standardized under ISO Standard 536, initially developed in 1976 and
updated in 1995.