# Ton (unit)

A ton is used to describe various units of measurement , especially for masses . While in the German-speaking area the “tonne” unit of mass always means the “metric tonne”, i.e. 1000  kilograms , in countries in the Anglo-Saxon-speaking area, the distinction between metric tonne , long ton and short ton is important.

## Metric barrel

Physical unit
Unit name Ton, metric ton
Unit symbol ${\ displaystyle \ mathrm {t}}$
Physical quantity (s) Dimensions
Formula symbol ${\ displaystyle m}$
dimension ${\ displaystyle {\ mathsf {M}}}$
system Approved for use with the SI
In SI units ${\ displaystyle \ mathrm {1 \, t = 1 \, 000 \; kg}}$
In CGS units ${\ displaystyle \ mathrm {1 \, t = 10 ^ {6} \; g}}$
Named after Latin tunna , "ton"
Derived from kilogram

The barrel (from Latin tunna 'the barrel') or the metric barrel with the unit symbol “t” is a unit of mass . According to the international system of units , one ton corresponds to 1000  kilograms (or one million grams, i.e. one megagram ). In countries where the metric system is established as the standard, it is common to speak simply “ton”. In all other countries, especially in the Anglo-Saxon-speaking area, one speaks of the "metric ton" ( metric ton, abbreviated to "mT", not to be confused with meter ton ) to distinguish it from the long ton and the short ton .

In some scientific books and magazines, as well as in a few official notices, the step from the designation "ton" to the designation "mega gram " (Mg) is carried out. This is to avoid confusion, especially at the international level. Accordingly, in English-language literature, the “gigatonne” (Gt) is now sometimes replaced by “petagram” (Pg).

Although the bin does not belong to the International System of Units (SI), it is approved for use with the SI. In the EU and Switzerland it is a legal entity .

### Decimal multiples

designation unit factor Multiples annotation
Gigatonne Gt 10 9-0 1 000 000 000  t is used, among other things, to indicate carbon dioxide emissions
Megaton Mt 10 6-0 1 000 000  t
Kilotons kt 10 3-0 1 000  t

Of course, all other attachments for units of measure are also conceivable, some are also used.

In the German agricultural the units were formerly often Zentner (unit symbol: ZTR, corresponding to 50  kg ) and the resulting quintals (unit symbol: dz; corresponds to 100 kg) used. In Germany, the quintal has been replaced by the legal unit “decitonne” (unit symbol: dt). Thus the old unit dz has the same mass as the new unit dt (1 dz = 1 dt = 100 kg). In German books, agricultural yields are often given in “decitons per hectare” (dt / ha), but internationally they are given in the ten times larger unit “tons per hectare” (t / ha); this in turn is increasingly being replaced by the term “megagrams per hectare” (Mg / ha) in the most recent literature.

The following applies: ${\ displaystyle 10 {\ frac {\ text {dt}} {\ text {ha}}} = 1 {\ frac {\ text {t}} {\ text {ha}}} = 1 {\ frac {\ text {Mg}} {\ text {ha}}}}$

## Long ton

Physical unit
Unit name British bin; english long ton , gross ton , weight ton
Unit symbol ${\ displaystyle \ mathrm {tn. \, l.}, \ mathrm {ts}}$
Physical quantity (s) Dimensions
Formula symbol ${\ displaystyle m}$
dimension ${\ displaystyle {\ mathsf {M}}}$
system Anglo-American system of measurement
In SI units ${\ displaystyle \ mathrm {1 \, tn. \, l. = 1016 {,} 046 \, 908 \, 8 \; kg}}$
Derived from Long hundredweight

The so-called long ton - from English long ton , literally long barrel ; also called "British ton" - is a unit of mass in the Avoirdupois measurement system . The unit symbol of the long ton is tn. l. (with spaces). The long ton corresponds to 20 long hundredweight and thus 2240 Anglo-American pounds (English pounds ).

1 tn. l. = 20 l. ctw. = 160  st. = 2240 lb. = 1016.0469088  kg

In the military sector, the unit is often used with the unit symbol ts , from English tons . The long ton is particularly used for the standard displacement of a ship, which was established at the 1922 Naval Conference in Washington . The specified sizes of the standard displacement result in round numbers in tons.

The term long ton was created to distinguish it from the short ton .

## Short ton

Physical unit
Unit name American bin; english short ton
Unit symbol ${\ displaystyle \ mathrm {tn. \, sh.}}$
Physical quantity (s) Dimensions
Formula symbol ${\ displaystyle m}$
dimension ${\ displaystyle {\ mathsf {M}}}$
system Anglo-American system of measurement
In SI units ${\ displaystyle \ mathrm {1 \, tn. \, sh. = 907 {,} 184 \, 74 \; kg}}$
Derived from Short hundredweight

The so-called short ton - from English short ton , literally short barrel ; also known as the “American bin” - is a unit of mass that is mainly used in the USA. The unit symbol is: tn. sh. (with spaces). One short ton corresponds to 20 short hundredweight and thus 2000 Anglo-American pounds (pounds).

1 tn. sh. = 20  sh. ctw. = 2000  lb = 907.18474  kg

## More "tons"

### Mining

In mining, the so-called Dry Metric Ton Unit ( DMTU for short , American-English literally for " Dry Metric Ton Unit ") is used. 1 DMTU corresponds to a metric ton of ore without water content with a metal content of one percent, which corresponds to a metal weight of 10 kilograms. For example, if the price of a 48 percent manganese ore is quoted at 2.30  USD / DMTU, the ore is traded at 48 × 2.30 USD / ton.

### Jato

When specifying the production capacities of mass-produced goods such as steel or chemicals, instead of “tons per year” - based on the “ kilometers per hour ” - the paraphrasing “annual ton (s)”, or “jato” or “jato” for short; however, the year is not a legal unit in Germany. In English, the abbreviation ' tpa ' (for ' tons per annum ' or ' tonnes per annum ') is common.

### Historic tons

The Prussian bin was a measure of volume, space or capacity for bulk goods such as salt , lime , gypsum , hard coal , charcoal , ashes and similar coarse goods.

Examples:

• 1 ton of salt = 405 pounds
• 1 ton of linseed = 6522.7885 Parisian cubic inches = 129.3885 liters
• 1 ton of beer = 100 quart (Prussia after 1816) ≈ 114,500 liters

In Riga the bin was also used for bulk goods, but it was calculated as follows:

• 1 ton of coal = 494.4 Stoof = 31,784 Parisian cubic inches = 630.48 liters
• 12 tons of hard coal = 1 load
• 1 ton of salt = 106 115 = 6818.5 Parisian cubic inches = 135.255 liters
• 18 tons of salt = 1 load
• 1 ton of herrings = 96 stoof = 6171.6 Parisian cubic inches = 122.42 liters
• 1 ton of grain or lime = 2 loof = 12 kulmet = 108 stoof = 6818.5 Parisian cubic inches = 137.726 liters

The Lüneburg salt barrel had been a measure of weight since the 13th century and was protected by imperial decree.

A Lüneburg salt barrel as a measuring and standard vessel:

• 1 ton of salt = 136.08 kilograms net (153.09 kilograms or 156.492 kilograms gross)
• 12 tons = 1 load

In Königsberg and Danzig the barrel was a piece of the herring trade.

A specialty of the ton is known from Braunschweig , Hamburg and Bremen. This barrel is carried under countable dimensions. Here the measure for butter was given the addition small or narrow (small band) or large band or bucket (large band), i.e.:

• Braunschweig, Hamburg: 1 ton volume = 280 pounds
• Braunschweig, Hamburg: 1 tonne small band = 224 pounds
• Bremen: 1 tonne bucket tape = 300 pounds
• Bremen: 1 tonne narrow band = 220 pounds

### Historical "tons" as a measure of area

In Schleswig-Holstein , Lübeck , Denmark , Norway and Iceland there were also barrel designations as area measures .

### Ton as a measure of volume

The register barrel is a volume measure from ship measurement .

## Bin in excel

The spreadsheet program Excel offers the possibility to convert different units via the CONVERT function. The parameter description ("ton" - ton) in Excel refers to the short-ton used in the USA. The conversion to metric tons is added with the prefix Mega (M) before the syntax for grams ("g") as ("Mg").

## Individual evidence

1. For example, the announcement of April 28, 2014, informing the public about the results of the emission measurements in the Ruhleben waste-to-energy plant for the year 2013 Page no longer available , search in web archives: Berlin Abl. No. 19/9. May 2014 (PDF; 1.5 MB)
2. Storing Carbon in Soil: Why and How? (Latin-American-English) - Website of the American Geological Institute ; published at Geotimes by Charles W. Rice on January 15, 2002 (accessed: July 3, 2013)
3. Le Système international d'unités . 9e édition, 2019 (the so-called "SI brochure", French and English).
4. Based on EU Directive 80/181 / EEC in the EU countries and the Federal Law on Metrology in Switzerland
5. Erich Gröner , Dieter Jung, Martin Maass: The German warships 1815-1945 . tape 1 : Armored ships, ships of the line, battleships, aircraft carriers, cruisers, gunboats . Bernard & Graefe Verlag, Munich 1982, ISBN 3-7637-4800-8 , p. 9 .
6. Dry Metric Tonne Unit (Latin-American-English) - page in the Commodities Glossary at IndexMundi (accessed on: July 3, 2013)
7. ^ Christian Noback , Friedrich Noback : coin, measure and weight book: the money, measure and exchange system, the courses, government papers, banks, trading establishments and customs of all states and more important places. FA Brockhaus, Leipzig 1858, p. 97.
8. ^ Christian Noback , Friedrich Noback : coin, measure and weight book: the money, measure and exchange system, the courses, government papers, banks, trading establishments and customs of all states and more important places. FA Brockhaus, Leipzig 1858, p. 618.
9. ^ Albert Zimmermann, Gudrun Vuillemin-Diem: Mensura. 1st half volume, Walter de Gruyter & Co., Berlin 1983, ISBN 3-11-085961-0 , p. 250.
10. ^ Christian Noback, Friedrich Noback: coin, measure and weight book: the money, measure and exchange system, the courses, government papers, banks, trading establishments and customs of all states and more important places. FA Brockhaus, Leipzig 1858, pp. 171 and 330
11. Erna Pagelt, Hansgeorg Laporte: Units and sizes of the natural sciences. Fachbuchverlag, Leipzig 1964, p. 273.
12. ^ Johann Friedrich Krüger : Complete manual of the coins, measures and weights of all countries in the world. Verlag Gottfried Basse, Quedlinburg / Leipzig 1830, p. 14, 350.
13. Georg Thomas Flügel: Cours-Zettel continued as a manual for coin, measure, weight and custom, as well as bills of exchange, bank, government paper and shares for European and non-European countries and cities for bankers, merchants, manufacturers. Jägersche Buch-, Papier- und Maphandlung, Frankfurt am Main 1859, pp. 69, 134.