What is short ton (US)?
A short ton is a unit of mass used primarily in the United States, equal to 2,000 pounds. It is used in industries such as mining, agriculture, and freight transportation.
Real-world uses
The short ton is the standard ton in US commerce and industry, used for coal, grain, and bulk commodity trading. HVAC cooling capacity was traditionally rated in tons (1 ton of refrigeration ≈ cooling of 1 short ton of ice per day).
History
The short ton of 2,000 pounds became standard in the United States as a simplified version of the older English long ton. It gained legal definition in US commerce during the 19th century and remains the default "ton" in American industry.
Common mistakes
Assuming "ton" means the same thing globally. In the US it means 2,000 lb (short ton), in the UK it traditionally meant 2,240 lb (long ton), and internationally it usually means 1,000 kg (metric tonne).
What is ounce?
An ounce is a unit of mass in imperial and US customary systems equal to approximately 28.35 grams. It is frequently used in cooking, food portioning, and the measurement of precious metals.
Real-world uses
Ounces are used in the US and UK for food packaging, postal weights, and cooking recipes. Precious metals are weighed in troy ounces (slightly heavier than avoirdupois ounces) on commodity exchanges worldwide.
History
The word "ounce" comes from the Latin "uncia," meaning one-twelfth (of a Roman pound). The avoirdupois ounce became standard in English trade by the 14th century, defined as 1/16 of an avoirdupois pound.
Common mistakes
Confusing avoirdupois ounces (28.35 g, used for general weight) with troy ounces (31.10 g, used for precious metals) or fluid ounces (a volume measure). These are three distinct units sharing the name "ounce."
When is this conversion used?
Cooking recipes and food packaging often switch between grams and ounces, especially when adapting recipes from different culinary traditions.
Worked examples
1 short ton (US) = 32,000 ounce
1 ounce = 0.02834952 kilogram
How to convert short ton (US) to ounce
To convert short ton (US) to ounce, multiply the value by 32,000.
To convert ounce back to short ton (US), multiply by 0.00003125.
Measurement standards
The kilogram is defined by fixing the Planck constant to exactly 6.62607015 × 10⁻³⁴ joule-seconds, as established at the 26th General Conference on Weights and Measures in 2018. This ended the last SI definition based on a physical artefact.
Did you know?
The International Prototype of the Kilogram, a platinum-iridium cylinder stored near Paris since 1889, was found to have drifted by about 50 micrograms relative to its copies over a century — roughly the mass of a fingerprint.
Quick reference: short ton (US) to ounce
| short ton (US) | ounce |
|---|---|
| 0.1 | 3,200 |
| 0.5 | 16,000 |
| 1 | 32,000 |
| 2 | 64,000 |
| 5 | 160,000 |
| 10 | 320,000 |
| 25 | 800,000 |
| 50 | 1,600,000 |
| 100 | 3,200,000 |
| 250 | 8,000,000 |
| 500 | 16,000,000 |
| 1,000 | 32,000,000 |
Common values
| short ton (US) | ounce | |
|---|---|---|
| A paperclip | 0.00110231 short ton (US) | 35.27396195 ounce |
| A smartphone | 0.19290448 short ton (US) | 6,172.94334118 ounce |
| A bag of sugar | 0.00110231 short ton (US) | 35.27396195 ounce |
| Average adult human | 0.07716179 short ton (US) | 2,469.17733647 ounce |
| A small car | 1.32277357 short ton (US) | 42,328.7543395 ounce |