TONS

Ton is a unit of mass used in different measurement systems. The metric ton, officially called the tonne, equals 1,000 kilograms and is commonly abbreviated as t. In the United States, the short ton equals 2,000 pounds, about 907.18474 kilograms. In the United Kingdom, the long ton equals 2,240 pounds, about 1,016.0469088 kilograms.

Because the term ton can refer to more than one unit depending on the country, the unqualified word is sometimes ambiguous; tonne is preferred in metric contexts to avoid confusion. Conversions between the three are straightforward: 1 tonne = 1,000 kg = 2,204.62262185 pounds. 1 short ton = 2,000 pounds = 907.18474 kg. 1 long ton = 2,240 pounds = 1,016.0469088 kg.

The tonne is the standard unit of mass for most scientific, industrial, and commercial use worldwide. The short ton and long ton remain in use primarily in the United States and historically in the United Kingdom, particularly in legacy applications such as shipping and rail. In everyday language, ton can also imply a large amount, outside of precise measurement.