A ton (t) or metric ton (M/T), also referred to as a metric ton, is a measurement of mass equal to 1,000 kilograms. It is not an SI unit but is accepted for use with the SI.^[1] The proper SI unit for a ton would be a "megagram" (Mg, see SI prefix), but this term is rarely used in practice. Though the spelling ton predates the introduction of the SI system in 1960, it is now used as the standard spelling for the metric mass measurement in English. The comparable imperial and US customary units are spelled ton in English. Look up ton in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... “Kg” redirects here. ... Look up si, Si, SI in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... An SI prefix (also known as a metric prefix) is a name or associated symbol that precedes a unit of measure (or its symbol) to form a decimal multiple or submultiple. ... The Imperial units or the Imperial system is a collection of English units, first defined in the Weights and Measures Act of 1824, later refined (until 1959) and reduced. ... U.S. customary units, also known in the United States as English units[1] (but see English unit) or standard units, are units of measurement that are currently used in the USA, in some cases alongside units from SI (the International System of Units — the modern metric system). ...

This unit was defined in the United States in 1866^[2] as a millier or a tonneau. However, neither of these are in use and though they still appear in the statute, they have been declared obsolete by NIST.^[3] NIST logo The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST, formerly known as The National Bureau of Standards) is a non-regulatory agency of the United States Department of Commerce’s Technology Administration. ...

Definition

1 tonne is defined as 1000 kilograms or 1 megagram (Mg, kilokilogram is incorrect per CIPM, 1967: Recommendation 2^[4]) “Kg” redirects here. ... An SI prefix (also known as a metric prefix) is a name or associated symbol that precedes a unit of measure (or its symbol) to form a decimal multiple or submultiple. ...

Multiples

Origin

The spelling ton is from French. In Old English the spelling was tunne. The various spellings and meanings (tonne, ton, tun) derive from the late Latin tunna, "cask" - a full cask about a metre high could easily weigh a tonne. Old English (also called Anglo-Saxon[1], Old English: ) is an early form of the English language that was spoken in parts of what is now England and southern Scotland between the mid-fifth century and the mid-twelfth century. ... For other uses, see Latin (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Barrel (disambiguation). ...

Conversions

One ton is equivalent to:

• One megagram (exactly). Symbol Mg.
  • This is the official SI term, but not generally used in industry, in shipping nor colloquially.
• 1000/0.45359237 pounds (exactly by definition), giving approximately
  • 2204.622 621 848 775 807 lb (to 19 significant digits)
  • 2204.622 622 lb (to ten significant digits)—an easy-to-remember figure
  • 2205 lb (rough but good enough for most calculations since loading (worst case) is usually the concern of interest)
• 98.44% of a long ton
  • One long ton (2240 lb) is 101.605% of a ton.
• 110.25% of a short ton
  • One short ton (2000 lb) is 90.72% of a ton

An SI prefix (also known as a metric prefix) is a name or associated symbol that precedes a unit of measure (or its symbol) to form a decimal multiple or submultiple. ... The pound or pound-mass (abbreviations: lb, lbm, or sometimes in the United States, #) is a unit of mass (sometimes called weight in everyday parlance) in a number of different systems, including English units, Imperial units, and United States customary units. ... Significant figures (also called significant digits and abbreviated sig figs or sig digs, respectively) is a method of expressing errors in measurements. ... A long ton is the name used in the US for the unit called the ton in the avoirdupois or Imperial system of measurements, as used (alongside the metric system) in the United Kingdom and to some extent in other Commonwealth countries. ... The short ton is a unit of mass equal to 907. ...

Explanation

The official symbol is t. T and mT and mt (especially in the combination mmt for "million metric tons" compare to Mt for megatonne) are also sometimes used, but all of these are deprecated since they conflict with internationally agreed SI symbols. T is the SI symbol for the tesla and m is SI prefix 'milli', meaning 1000th (though in practice fractional prefixes aren't generally used with the tonne). Te is also sometimes used, particularly in the nuclear industry. SI unit. ...

In France and the English-speaking countries that are predominantly metric, the spelling tonne is widespread. However, in Britain, the ton used prior to metrication was the long ton of 2240 pounds (approximately 1016 kg). This is so close to the tonne that many people draw little distinction and continue to use the old spelling. For example, even the Guinness Book of World Records accepts metrication without marking this by changing the spelling. For the United States, metric ton is the name for this unit used and recommended by NIST. [3] In the U.S. an unqualified mention of a "ton" almost invariably refers to a short ton of 2000 lb (about 907 kg). A long ton is the name used in the US for the unit called the ton in the avoirdupois or Imperial system of measurements, as used (alongside the metric system) in the United Kingdom and to some extent in other Commonwealth countries. ... The Guinness Book of Records (or in recent editions Guinness World Records, and in previous US editions Guinness Book of World Records) is a book published annually, containing an internationally recognized collection of superlatives: both in terms of human achievement and the extrema of the natural world. ... Metrication or metrification refers to the introduction of the SI metric system as the international standard for physical measurements—a long-term series of independent and systematic conversions from the various separate local systems of weights and measures. ... The short ton is a unit of mass equal to 907. ...

Like grams and kilograms, tonnes gave rise to a (now obsolete) force unit of the same name: 1 tonne-force = 9.80665 kilonewtons (kN), a unit also often called simply "tonne" or "metric ton" without identifying it as a unit of force. Note that it is only the tonne as a unit of mass which is accepted for use with SI; the tonne-force or metric ton-force is not acceptable for use with SI. For other uses, see Newton (disambiguation). ...

Use of mass as proxy for energy

Main article: TNT equivalent

The ton of trinitrotoluene (TNT) is used as a proxy for energy. Prefixes are also used e.g. kilotonne, megatonne, gigatonne; especially for expressing nuclear weapon yield, based on a specific combustion energy of TNT of 4.184 MJ/kg (or one calorie—specifically a thermochemical calorie—per milligram). Hence, 1 kt TNT = 4.184 TJ, 1 Mt TNT = 4.184 PJ. Unit of energy commonly used to quantify laerge amounts of energy. ... R-phrases S-phrases Related Compounds Related compounds picric acid hexanitrobenzene Except where noted otherwise, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 Â°C, 100 kPa) Infobox disclaimer and references Trinitrotoluene (TNT) is a chemical compound with the formula C6H2(NO2)3CH3. ... // The explosive yield of a nuclear weapon is the amount of energy discharged when the weapon is detonated, expressed usually in the equivalent mass of trinitrotoluene (TNT), either in kilotons (thousands of tons of TNT) or megatons (million of tons of TNT), but sometimes also in terajoules (1 kiloton of... The fuel value or relative energy density is the quantity of potential energy in fuel, food or other substance. ... A megajoule (abbreviation: MJ) is a unit of energy equal to 1000000 joules. ... “Kg” redirects here. ... Etymology: French calorie, from Latin calor (heat), from calere (to be warm). ... The milligram (symbol mg) is an SI unit of mass. ... A megaton or megatonne is a unit of mass equal to 1,000,000 metric tons, i. ... To help compare different orders of magnitude we list here energies between 1012 joules (a terajoule, symbol TJ) and 1013 joules. ... A megaton or megatonne is a unit of mass equal to 1,000,000 metric tons, i. ... The joule (symbol J, also called newton metre, or coulomb volt) is the SI unit of energy and work. ...

The SI unit of energy is the joule. Assuming that TNT contains 1000 small (thermochemical) calories per gram (4.184 kJ/g), one tonne TNT is more correctly referred to as 4.184 gigajoules. It is usually used to describe the energy of explosions. The joule (IPA: or ) (symbol: J) is the SI unit of energy. ... Etymology: French calorie, from Latin calor (heat), from calere (to be warm). ... The joule (IPA: or ) (symbol: J) is the SI unit of energy. ... The joule (IPA: or ) (symbol: J) is the SI unit of energy. ...

Metric ton in popular culture

• Metric Ton is also the name of a hardcore band from Jacksonville, FL.
• Fat Bastard (character) from the Austin Powers movies is introduced by Dr. Evil in Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me saying that he weighs a metric ton.
• In the Futurama episode A Flight to Remember it is discovered that Bender weighs a metric ton.

Jacksonville redirects here. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... The tone or style of this article or section may not be appropriate for Wikipedia. ... Dr. Evil is a fictional supervillain played by Mike Myers in the Austin Powers film series. ... Austin Powers: the Spy Who Shagged Me is the second film in the Austin Powers series started with Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery and continued in Austin Powers in Goldmember. ... This article is about the television series. ... The subject of this article may not satisfy the notability guideline for Television episodes. ... Look up bender in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

Derived units

metric ton unit
A metric ton unit (MTU) can mean 10 kg within metal (e.g. tungsten, manganese) trading, particularly within the USA. It traditionally referred to a metric ton of ore containing 1% (i.e. 10 kg) of metal.

http://www.emis.platts.com/thezone/guides/platts/metals/conversion.html

http://www.unc.edu/~rowlett/units/dictM.html

If the metal is uranium, the acronym 'MTU' is sometimes considered to be 'metric ton of uranium' i.e. 1000 kg (http://www-pub.iaea.org/MTCD/publications/PDF/rwmp-3/REFERENCE.pdf http://www.hanford.gov/rl/uploadfiles/ea/ea1319/ea1319.html, http://www.y12.doe.gov/library/acronyms/letter.php?index=M, http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/nuregs/staff/sr0544/r4/ ).

See also

“SI” redirects here. ... The metre-tonne-second or mts system of units is a system of physical units introduced in the Soviet Union in 1933, but abolished in 1955. ... Measurement is the determination of the size or magnitude of something. ... The ton of oil equivalent (TOE) is a unit for measuring energy. ... Gtoe is an abbreviation for giga tonne oil equivalent, a common measure of global energy. ... Look up ton in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... The short ton is a unit of mass equal to 907. ... A long ton is the name used in the US for the unit called the ton in the avoirdupois or Imperial system of measurements, as used (alongside the metric system) in the United Kingdom and to some extent in other Commonwealth countries. ... Tonnage is a measure of the size or cargo capacity of a ship. ... For ton as a unit of mass, see ton The freight ton or measurement ton is a unit of volume used for describing ship capacities (tonnage) or cargo. ... Conversion of units refers to conversion factors between different units of measurement for the same quantity. ... To help compare different orders of magnitude, the following list describes various mass levels between 10−36 kg and 1053 kg. ...

References

• NIST Special Publication 811, Guide for the Use of the International System of Units (SI)

1. ^ Section 4.1 of The International System of Units (SI), 8th Edition, 2006
2. ^ Act of July 28, 1866, codified in 15 U.S.C. §205 [1]
3. ^ "Metric System of Measurement: Interpretation of the International System of Units for the United States", Federal Register notice of July 28, 1998, 63 F.R. 40333 [2]
4. ^ http://www.bipm.org/en/CIPM/db/1967/2/

' The Federal Register contains most routine publications and public notices of United States government agencies. ...