Long Tons (long-ton) to Grains (gr) conversion

What is the Long Ton?

The long ton is a unit of mass in the British imperial system, historically used for weighing bulk commodities such as coal, ore, and shipping cargo. It is equal to 2,240 pounds and remains familiar in the United Kingdom and in maritime contexts.

Definition

The long ton is defined as exactly 2,240 pounds avoirdupois. Since one pound equals 0.45359237 kg exactly, its SI value is:

$$1\ \text{long-ton} = 1016.05\ \text{kg}$$

Equivalently, the long ton equals 20 hundredweight (cwt) of 112 lb each, distinguishing it from the 2,000 lb US short ton and the 1,000 kg metric tonne.

Origin and History

The long ton descends from the medieval English "tun," a large cask used to ship wine, whose full weight was standardized in trade. The avoirdupois system fixed the hundredweight at 112 pounds (eight stone of 14 lb), and twenty of these made the ton, giving 2,240 lb. This "long" hundredweight and ton became the standard for British commerce and were carried throughout the Commonwealth and colonial trade.

Law and Notable Facts

The long ton is the British/imperial ton, contrasted with the 2,000 lb US short ton and the 1,000 kg metric tonne (megagram). It is legally recognized in the United Kingdom, though the metric tonne has largely replaced it for official trade. Notably, the long ton (1016 kg) sits remarkably close to the metric tonne (1000 kg), differing by only about 1.6%, which is why "ton" and "tonne" are often used loosely as near-equivalents in shipping.

Real-World Examples and Conversions

• A long ton equals 1016.05 kg, about 16 kg heavier than a metric tonne.
• Ship displacement and cargo were traditionally quoted in long tons; a 10,000 long ton vessel carries roughly 10,160 metric tonnes.
• One long ton (2,240 lb) is 240 lb heavier than one US short ton (2,000 lb), a 12% difference.
• A long ton of coal (1016 kg) is a typical unit still cited in older British mining and heating records.

What is the Grain?

The grain is a small unit of mass in the avoirdupois, troy, and apothecaries' systems. Today it is used mainly for bullets, gunpowder, arrows, and some medications.

Definition

The grain is defined as exactly 1/7000 of an avoirdupois pound:

$$1\ \text{gr} = 6.47989 \times 10⁻⁵\ \text{kg}$$

Precisely, 1 grain = 64.79891 mg exactly. There are 7000 grains in an avoirdupois pound and 480 grains in a troy ounce, making the grain the common link between the troy, avoirdupois, and apothecaries' systems.

Origin and History

The grain originally referred to the mass of a single seed of a cereal grain such as wheat or barley. It is one of the oldest units of mass in the English-speaking world and long served as the base unit from which pounds and ounces were built.

Law and Notable Facts

The grain is the only mass unit shared identically across the troy, avoirdupois, and apothecaries' systems. In firearms, ammunition is still specified in grains—for both projectile mass and powder charge.

Real-World Examples and Conversions

A common 9mm bullet weighs about 115 grains (≈7.45 g). A standard aspirin tablet of 325 mg is roughly 5 grains. One gram equals about 15.43 grains.