How Many Pounds Per Ton

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The almost basic answer to the question of how many pounds in a ton? There are 2000 pounds in a ton.

Notwithstanding experience confused? You're not solitary. But why is the ton a measurement that no one always quite understands or remembers? This conversion is incessantly confusing because a ton tin refer to 11 different forms of measurement.

In this commodity, I'll explain exactly what a ton is, what it measures, and how to convert tons to pounds. I'll go into the differences between a ton, a metric ton, and several other kinds of tons. And finally, I'll give yous a brief history of this often mixed upwards and misused unit.

The Basics: What's a Ton? How Exercise You Catechumen Tons to Pounds?

Commencement things first: here are the most basic facts you should know about tons.

If you alive in the US, then when you encounter a reference to a ton, you're looking at a measurement of mass. The conversions for tons to pounds and pounds to tons are below:

1 ton = 2000 pounds

one pound = 1/2000 of a ton

But what if you dig a little deeper into this unit? Permit'due south check out some other kinds of tons around the world.

What's the Difference Betwixt a Brusque Ton, a Long Ton, and a Tonne (Metric Ton)?

Ane of the reasons the ton is such a confounding measurement is that there are actually three different kinds of tons in employ around the earth.

Short Ton

The United states has never adopted the metric arrangement for measuring things. Instead, our country uses a system called customary units. To measure mass, this system uses pounds and ounces as well as the tons I described in the previous section.

The US ton is chosen a brusque ton. one brusk ton is 2000 pounds.

Long Ton

The United Kingdom uses a mix of the metric system and the older Royal arrangement for its measurements. This ways that they measure mass sometimes in kilograms and other times in units called stones.

The ton that is used in Imperial measures is a little heavier than the Usa one, so the UK ton is called a long ton. 1 long ton is 2240 pounds.

Tonne (or Metric Ton)

Most other countries have by this point fully adopted the metric system, and use grams and kilograms to mensurate mass.

The metric ton is never officially chosen a metric ton, and is instead called a tonne (pronounced simply like the word "ton"). 1 tonne is 1000 kilograms, or 2,204.six pounds.

Short Ton, Long Ton, and Tonne Conversions

1 brusk ton = 0.89 long tons = .9 tonnes = 2000 pounds = 907 kilograms

1 long ton = 1.12 short tons = one.01 tonnes = 2240 pounds = 1016 kilograms

1 tonne = 0.98 long tons = i.1 short tons = 2204 pounds = 1000 kilograms

And so, in society from lightest to heaviest, it goes: ane brusk ton < 1 metric ton < 1 long ton.

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Tons are similar nesting dolls—each a slightly larger version of the next.

Why Are There So Many Different Tons?

The discussion "ton" originally comes from a measurement of volume chosen a "tun"—basically a very large vino-making cask. And you're right—this does, in fact, hateful that originally a ton was a measurement of volume rather than mass! Somewhen, it was adamant that a tun could hold nigh 2000 pounds worth of wine, and the term "ton" evolved to describe this weight.

The short ton and long ton measurements diverged when this wine-making measurement was standardized. In the US and the United kingdom, the ton was divers equally 20 hundredweights (another unit of mass). But, while in the United states of america 1 hundredweight = 100 pounds, in the United kingdom 1 hundredweight = 8 stones. Since 1 rock = 14 pounds, the UK hundredweight = 112 pounds.

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The Us took the route less traveled—and that has made all the difference. At least every bit far as short tons are concerned.

What Other Kinds of Tons Are There?

In improver to the three types of tons above, there are many other sorts of tons that are used to describe a broad range of measurements. These less common tons are more often than not quite specialized, meaning you're unlikely to encounter them in your twenty-four hours to day life.

Still, the multifariousness of usage certainly helps explain why the discussion ton is frequently so confusing. As we get through the other kinds of tons, observe how sometimes the ton is used to measure mass, sometimes to measure out book, and sometimes it'southward not a measurement at all—only instead a standard quantity!

Tons in the Bounding main

At sea, tons typically have to do with measuring ships—and in this context, tons are generally a way to express volume rather than mass.

Deadweight Ton. A volume measurement of a ship'south carrying capacity, including cargo, anchor, crew, and supplies. It is expressed in tonnes or long tons.

Annals Ton (or Tonnage). A volume measurement of a ship's cargo chapters. Tonnage isn't the same thing as the weight of a ship (called "deportation").

Ton Grade. A volume measurement that categorizes types of yachts based on the capacity of the hold.

Displacement Ton. A measurement of the weight of a ship. It's chosen "deportation" because you summate it past measuring the book of water that a transport displaces, and then converting this volume into weight.

Tons in the Basis

One of the uses of "ton" every bit a standard amount rather than a measurement happens with ore. Check out the "analysis ton" to encounter that a ton tin can sometimes mean a very pocket-sized amount of something!

Dry Ton (or Tonne). A measurement of mass used for cloth that'south ordinarily wet but has been dried for transportation (think sludge, slurry, or compost, for case).

Assay Ton. This is not a unit of measurement, but is always either 29 1⁄six grams (curt assay ton) or 32 2⁄3 grams (long assay ton)—much lighter than a pound! This amount is the standard quantity of ore necessary for testing the ores of precious metals.

Tons of Energy

Here, the ton is then removed from its original meaning that it's used to measure energy output in the aforementioned way that units similar the joule or the calorie do.

Ton of TNT. This kind of ton is not a measurement of volume or mass, but instead, a specific amount of free energy—109 calories (about 4.184 gigajoules)—generally used to describe nuclear weapons or earthquakes. This energy unit hasn't had anything to practise with the actual chemical TNT for a long time.

Tonne of Oil Equivalent. Another standard energy value, based on the amount of free energy released by burning one tonne of crude oil. The very similar "tonne of coal equivalent" is the amount of energy released by called-for one tonne of coal.

Tons of Cold

Ton of Refrigeration. This is a measure of heat absorption used for refrigeration and air workout, and comes from the days when cooling was accomplished but through ice. ane unit of measurement ton of mechanical refrigeration is the chapters to meet the consumption of one ton of water ice in 1 day.

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That'due south a good-looking ton of ship.

So, Actually, How Many Pounds in a Ton?

All yous actually take to know is that in the US, a ton measures mass and is the same as 2000 pounds.

It helps to have a general sense that the US brusk ton, the UK long ton, and the metric ton are slight variations on the same measurement.

To be a ton superstar, you should remember that the ton started as a measurement of volume and is still used that mode nigh ships.

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Nearly the Author

Anna scored in the 99th percentile on her SATs in high school, and went on to major in English at Princeton and to get her doctorate in English Literature at Columbia. She is passionate virtually improving student access to college educational activity.