Imperial ton (long ton) to Stone
ton
st
Conversion History
| Conversion | Reuse | Delete |
|---|---|---|
| No conversion history to show. | ||
Quick Reference Table (Imperial ton (long ton) to Stone)
| Imperial ton (long ton) (ton) | Stone (st) |
|---|---|
| 0.5 | 80 |
| 1 | 160 |
| 2 | 320 |
| 5 | 800 |
| 10 | 1,600 |
| 20 | 3,200 |
About Imperial ton (long ton) (ton)
The imperial ton, also called the long ton, is a unit of mass equal to 2,240 pounds (approximately 1,016 kg). It was the standard large-mass unit in the British Empire for bulk goods such as coal, grain, and shipping capacity. The long ton is still used in some UK industries (particularly shipping tonnage and historical contexts) but has largely been replaced by the metric tonne (1,000 kg) for commercial and scientific purposes. The difference between the long ton (1,016 kg), metric tonne (1,000 kg), and US short ton (907 kg) is roughly 10–12%, which matters in trade and engineering calculations.
A double-decker bus weighs about 8 long tons. A coal wagon in Victorian railways held about 10 long tons.
About Stone (st)
The stone (st) is a unit of weight equal to 14 pounds (approximately 6.35 kg), used almost exclusively in the United Kingdom and Ireland for expressing human body weight. A person weighing 70 kg is approximately 11 stone. The stone is rarely used outside body weight — commercial goods, food, and science all use kilograms in the UK. The stone is not part of the metric system and has no formal SI equivalent; its continued use is a cultural habit, particularly in older generations and media coverage of boxing and fitness.
Average UK adult body weight is often quoted as 11–13 stone. A jockey must typically weigh under 8.5 stone to compete.
Etymology: From the practice of using actual stones as counterweights on balance scales. Standardised in England at 14 pounds by the Weights and Measures Act 1835.
Imperial ton (long ton) – Frequently Asked Questions
What was the heaviest single object ever weighed?
The revolving service structure at NASA's Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39B weighed approximately 2,423 long tons (2,462 metric tonnes) when it was moved on its rail system. In construction, the Troll A offshore gas platform (North Sea) had a concrete substructure weighing about 656,000 tonnes — the heaviest object ever moved by humanity. For natural objects, the heaviest single organism is the Pando aspen grove in Utah at an estimated 6,000 tonnes, though it is debatable whether a clonal colony counts as one "object."
Is the long ton still used?
The long ton persists in some specialist UK contexts — notably maritime shipping displacement (warship displacement is often quoted in long tons), some historical industrial records, and a few US sectors such as ferrous scrap metal trading. For most purposes, the metric tonne has replaced it in the UK.
How does the long ton compare to the metric tonne?
A long ton is 1,016.05 kg, which is about 1.6% heavier than a metric tonne (1,000 kg). For rough mental conversion, they are close enough that long ton ≈ metric tonne — but in bulk commodity contracts, the 16 kg difference per tonne adds up significantly at large volumes.
Why does the UK use a different ton than the US?
Both derived from the historical English ton of 2,240 lbs (based on 20 hundredweight of 112 lbs each). The US customary system later redefined the hundredweight as 100 lbs, producing a short ton of 2,000 lbs, while the UK retained the 112-lb hundredweight and the 2,240-lb long ton.
What is a deadweight ton?
Deadweight tonnage (DWT) is a shipping measure of how much weight a vessel can carry — cargo, fuel, crew, provisions, and water — expressed in metric tonnes or long tons depending on convention. A Panamax cargo ship typically has a deadweight of 50,000–80,000 metric tonnes. DWT is distinct from displacement tonnage (the weight of water displaced by the ship itself).
Stone – Frequently Asked Questions
How many pounds are in a stone?
One stone equals exactly 14 pounds. A person who weighs 10 stone weighs 140 pounds (63.5 kg). To convert stone to kilograms, multiply by 6.35; to convert to pounds, multiply by 14.
Do people outside the UK use stone for weight?
Stone is used in the UK and Ireland for body weight but is virtually unknown elsewhere. Australians, Canadians, and New Zealanders — who all once used it — have largely switched to kilograms. Americans use only pounds. If you quote your weight in stone outside the British Isles, expect blank looks.
Why is a stone 14 pounds?
The stone historically varied between 8 and 26 pounds depending on the commodity (wool, meat, cheese). The 14-pound standard was established by the English Weights and Measures Act of 1835, partly because 14 divides evenly into the 28-pound quarter and the 56-pound half-hundredweight.
Is stone used in medical settings in the UK?
The NHS officially uses kilograms in clinical contexts, and most medical equipment is calibrated in kg. However, many patients still report their weight in stone, so UK healthcare professionals routinely work in both systems. Obesity classifications (BMI categories) are always calculated in kilograms.
How do I convert my weight from kilograms to stone and pounds?
Divide your weight in kg by 6.35 to get stone. The whole number is your stone value; multiply the decimal remainder by 14 to get the remaining pounds. Example: 75 kg ÷ 6.35 = 11.81 stone → 11 stone and (0.81 × 14) ≈ 11 lbs, so 75 kg ≈ 11 stone 11 lbs.