hundredweights

A hundredweight is a unit of mass or weight used in the British imperial and United States customary systems. There are two common definitions: the long hundredweight and the short hundredweight.

The long hundredweight, also known as the imperial hundredweight, is equal to 112 pounds. This unit is historically associated with the British imperial system. It is composed of eight stone, with each stone being 14 pounds. Therefore, 8 stone multiplied by 14 pounds per stone equals 112 pounds.

The short hundredweight, also known as the US hundredweight or cental, is equal to 100 pounds. This is the standard definition used in the United States.

The term "hundredweight" itself suggests a weight of one hundred units, but its actual value depends on the system being used. Historically, these units were used for trading bulk commodities, particularly in agriculture and wholesale markets. While less common in everyday use today, they persist in certain agricultural contexts and in historical records. The conversion between the two systems is straightforward: one long hundredweight is equivalent to 1.12 short hundredweights.