Home › Weights and Measures › Weights and Measures: Weight

Weights and Measures: Weight

By act of Congress, however, when not specified to the contrary, the ton is to be construed as meaning 2,240 16 DRAMS = 1 02 0000 00000 100 = 1lb 20=1Ton BUSHEL 761bs "American Avoirdupois Weight. pounds. This is commonly called the long ton; that of 2,000 pounds the short ton. The long ton is most often used for weighing coal and iron at the mines, and for plaster, and in some other wholesale transactions in mining products. The shipping ton is 40 cubic feet, known as actual tonnage. The registered shipping ton is 100 cubic feet. The word ton is supposed to have been derived from the tun, an old British liquid measure for ale or beer. A tun of water weighs a WEIGHTS AND MEASURES little over 2,200 pounds. Hence the ton weight seems to have been taken from the tun measure, of which it is a rough equivalent.