What is stone?
A stone is a unit of mass used primarily in the United Kingdom and Ireland, equal to 14 pounds. It is mainly used to express human body weight in everyday conversation.
Real-world uses
The stone is used primarily in the UK and Ireland for expressing body weight (e.g., "I weigh 11 stone"). It appears on bathroom scales sold in Britain and is the preferred unit in British medical consultations for patient weight discussions.
History
The stone has been used in the British Isles since at least the 14th century for weighing agricultural goods. Its value varied historically (from 4 to 32 pounds depending on the commodity) before being fixed at 14 pounds by the Weights and Measures Act of 1835.
Common mistakes
Assuming a stone is used outside the British Isles—it is virtually unknown in the US, continental Europe, or most other countries. Also, forgetting that 1 stone = 14 pounds, not 10 or 12.
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).
When is this conversion used?
Converting stone to short ton (US) is useful in the mass domain when comparing values across different measurement standards or applying formulas that require a specific unit.
Worked examples
1 stone = 0.007 short ton (US)
1 short ton (US) = 907.18474 kilogram
How to convert stone to short ton (US)
To convert stone to short ton (US), multiply the value by 0.007.
To convert short ton (US) back to stone, multiply by 142.85714286.
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: stone to short ton (US)
| stone | short ton (US) |
|---|---|
| 0.1 | 0.0007 |
| 0.5 | 0.0035 |
| 1 | 0.007 |
| 2 | 0.014 |
| 5 | 0.035 |
| 10 | 0.07 |
| 25 | 0.175 |
| 50 | 0.35 |
| 100 | 0.7 |
| 250 | 1.75 |
| 500 | 3.5 |
| 1,000 | 7 |
Common values
| stone | short ton (US) | |
|---|---|---|
| A paperclip | 0.15747304 stone | 0.00110231 short ton (US) |
| A smartphone | 27.55778277 stone | 0.19290448 short ton (US) |
| A bag of sugar | 0.15747304 stone | 0.00110231 short ton (US) |
| Average adult human | 11.02311311 stone | 0.07716179 short ton (US) |
| A small car | 188.9676533 stone | 1.32277357 short ton (US) |