Weight converter lbs to tons how to#

It’s called “displacement” because you calculate it by measuring the volume of water that a ship displaces, and then converting this volume into weight. A volume measurement that categorizes types of yachts based on the capacity of the hold.ĭisplacement Ton. Tonnage isn’t the same thing as the weight of a ship (called “displacement”). A volume measurement of a ship’s cargo capacity. A volume measurement of a ship's carrying capacity, including cargo, ballast, crew, and supplies. As we go through the other kinds of tons, notice how sometimes the ton is used to measure mass, sometimes to measure volume, and sometimes it's not a measurement at all-but instead a standard quantity!Īt sea, tons typically have to do with measuring ships-and in this context, tons are generally a way to express volume rather than mass.ĭeadweight Ton. Still, the diversity of usage certainly helps explain why the word ton is frequently so confusing. These less common tons are generally quite specialized, meaning you're unlikely to encounter them in your day to day life. In addition to the three types of tons above, there are many other sorts of tons that are used to describe a wide range of measurements. At least as far as short tons are concerned. The US took the road less traveled-and that has made all the difference. Since 1 stone = 14 pounds, the UK hundredweight = 112 pounds. But, while in the US 1 hundredweight = 100 pounds, in the UK 1 hundredweight = 8 stones. In the US and the UK, the ton was defined as 20 hundredweights (another unit of mass). The short ton and long ton measurements diverged when this wine-making measurement was standardized. And you're right-this does, in fact, mean that originally a ton was a measurement of volume rather than mass! Eventually, it was determined that a tun could hold about 2000 pounds worth of wine, and the term 'ton' evolved to describe this weight. The word 'ton' originally comes from a measurement of volume called a “tun”-basically a very big wine-making cask. Tons are like nesting dolls-each a slightly larger version of the next. So, in order from lightest to heaviest, it goes: 1 short ton < 1 metric ton < 1 long ton. 9 tonnes = 2000 pounds = 907 kilogramsġ long ton = 1.12 short tons = 1.01 tonnes = 2240 pounds = 1016 kilogramsġ tonne = 0.98 long tons = 1.1 short tons = 2204 pounds = 1000 kilograms Short Ton, Long Ton, and Tonne Conversionsġ short ton = 0.89 long tons =. 1 tonne is 1000 kilograms, or 2,204.6 pounds. The metric ton is never officially called a metric ton, and is instead called a tonne (pronounced just like the word “ton”). Most other countries have by this point fully adopted the metric system, and use grams and kilograms to measure mass. The ton that is used in Imperial measures is a little heavier than the US one, so the UK ton is called a long ton. This means that they measure mass sometimes in kilograms and other times in units called stones. The United Kingdom uses a mix of the metric system and the older Imperial system for its measurements. To measure mass, this system uses pounds and ounces as well as the tons I described in the previous section. Instead, our country uses a system called customary units. The United States has never adopted the metric system for measuring things.

One of the reasons the ton is such a confounding measurement is that there are actually three different kinds of tons in use around the world. What’s the Difference Between a Short Ton, a Long Ton, and a Tonne (Metric Ton)? The conversions for tons to pounds and pounds to tons are below:īut what if you dig a little deeper into this unit? Let’s check out some other kinds of tons around the world. If you live in the US, then when you encounter a reference to a ton, you're looking at a measurement of mass. The Basics: What’s a Ton? How Do You Convert Tons to Pounds?įirst things first: here are the most basic facts you should know about tons. And finally, I'll give you a brief history of this often mixed up and misused unit of measurement. I'll go into the differences between a ton, a metric ton, and several other kinds of tons.

Weight converter lbs to tons how to#

In this article, I’ll explain exactly what a ton is, what it measures, and how to convert tons to pounds. But why is the ton a measurement that no one ever quite understands or remembers? This conversion is endlessly confusing because a ton can refer to 11 different forms of measurement. The most basic answer to the question of how many pounds in a ton? There are 2000 pounds in a ton.