1 Ton Equals 2000 Pounds

feature_weights

The nigh basic reply to the question of how many pounds in a ton? At that place are 2000 pounds in a ton.

Still feel confused? You're not alone. But why is the ton a measurement that no one ever quite understands or remembers? This conversion is endlessly confusing because a ton tin can refer to 11 different forms of measurement.

In this commodity, I'll explicate exactly what a ton is, what information technology measures, and how to convert tons to pounds. I'll become into the differences betwixt a ton, a metric ton, and several other kinds of tons. And finally, I'll requite you a brief history of this often mixed up and misused unit of measurement.

The Basics: What's a Ton? How Practise You lot Convert Tons to Pounds?

First things first: here are the most basic facts y'all 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 beneath:

1 ton = 2000 pounds

1 pound = one/2000 of a ton

Only what if you dig a little deeper into this unit? Let's check out some other kinds of tons around the world.

What's the Divergence Between a Curt Ton, a Long Ton, and a Tonne (Metric Ton)?

One of the reasons the ton is such a misreckoning measurement is that there are actually three dissimilar kinds of tons in use around the world.

Short Ton

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

The Usa ton is called a short ton. ane short ton is 2000 pounds.

Long Ton

The Great britain uses a mix of the metric system and the older Imperial arrangement for its measurements. This means that they measure out mass sometimes in kilograms and other times in units called stones.

The ton that is used in Imperial measures is a fiddling heavier than the The states one, and then the Great britain ton is called a long ton. 1 long ton is 2240 pounds.

Tonne (or Metric Ton)

Most other countries have by this bespeak fully adopted the metric system, and utilize grams and kilograms to measure mass.

The metric ton is never officially chosen a metric ton, and is instead called a tonne (pronounced just similar the word "ton"). 1 tonne is 1000 kilograms, or 2,204.6 pounds.

Short Ton, Long Ton, and Tonne Conversions

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

i long ton = ane.12 short tons = 1.01 tonnes = 2240 pounds = 1016 kilograms

1 tonne = 0.98 long tons = 1.1 short tons = 2204 pounds = yard kilograms

Then, in order from lightest to heaviest, it goes: one short ton < 1 metric ton < 1 long ton.

body_nestingdolls

Tons are like 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 called a "tun"—basically a very large vino-making cask. And you lot're correct—this does, in fact, mean that originally a ton was a measurement of book rather than mass! Eventually, information technology was determined that a tun could agree virtually 2000 pounds worth of wine, and the term "ton" evolved to describe this weight.

The short ton and long ton measurements diverged when this vino-making measurement was standardized. In the US and the U.k., the ton was divers as 20 hundredweights (another unit of measurement of mass). Simply, while in the US 1 hundredweight = 100 pounds, in the Uk 1 hundredweight = 8 stones. Since i stone = 14 pounds, the United kingdom of great britain and northern ireland hundredweight = 112 pounds.

body_roadfork

The United states of america took the road less traveled—and that has made all the deviation. At least as far as short tons are concerned.

What Other Kinds of Tons Are At that place?

In improver to the iii types of tons in a higher place, in that location are many other sorts of tons that are used to describe a wide range of measurements. These less common tons are generally quite specialized, meaning you're unlikely to run into them in your day to 24-hour interval life.

Yet, the diversity of usage certainly helps explain why the word ton is frequently so confusing. Equally we go through the other kinds of tons, notice how sometimes the ton is used to measure out mass, sometimes to measure volume, and sometimes it's non a measurement at all—merely instead a standard quantity!

Tons in the Ocean

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

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

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

Ton Class. 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'due south called "displacement" because you lot calculate information technology by measuring the volume of water that a send displaces, and then converting this volume into weight.

Tons in the Basis

Ane of the uses of "ton" as a standard amount rather than a measurement happens with ore. Cheque out the "analysis ton" to see that a ton can sometimes mean a very small corporeality of something!

Dry out Ton (or Tonne). A measurement of mass used for textile that'due south unremarkably wet but has been dried for transportation (think sludge, slurry, or compost, for instance).

Assay Ton. This is not a unit of measurement of measurement, simply is always either 29 1⁄half dozen grams (short 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 so removed from its original pregnant that it's used to measure free energy output in the same manner that units like the joule or the calorie do.

Ton of TNT. This kind of ton is non a measurement of volume or mass, but instead, a specific amount of energy—109 calories (about four.184 gigajoules)—generally used to describe nuclear weapons or earthquakes. This free energy unit of measurement hasn't had anything to do 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 past burning one tonne of crude oil. The very similar "tonne of coal equivalent" is the amount of energy released by burning one tonne of coal.

Tons of Cold

Ton of Refrigeration. This is a measure of heat absorption used for refrigeration and air conditioning, and comes from the days when cooling was achieved only through ice. i unit ton of mechanical refrigeration is the capacity to encounter the consumption of one ton of ice in 1 twenty-four hour period.

body_ship

That's a good-looking ton of ship.

So, Really, How Many Pounds in a Ton?

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

It helps to take a general sense that the US short ton, the United kingdom of great britain and northern ireland long ton, and the metric ton are slight variations on the aforementioned measurement.

To be a ton superstar, you should remember that the ton started every bit a measurement of volume and is still used that style about ships.

Have friends who besides need help with test prep? Share this article!

Virtually 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 language Literature at Columbia. She is passionate about improving student access to higher education.