Ton vsTonne: What’s the difference? This is a question that often puzzles people. It might seem like ton and tonne are just two different words for the same thing, but they’re not.
Let’s look at ton vstonne to see how much heavier a ton is than a tonne, which one weighs more, and what each word means in general.
Difference between Ton and Tonne
Ton is a measure of weight. A tonne is an archaic unit of mass used in some countries and the United States until ton usage became more common, but it remains in use as part of international trade laws.
Here are the differences between Ton and Tonne:
- One ton equals 1000 kilograms or 22046 pounds. One tonne equals 1000 kilograms or 22046 pounds.
- Ton is heavier than tonne because it weighs more. According to imperial measurements, a ton is about 20% heavier than a tonne.
- A ton and tonne are two different units of measurement that can be used for weight or mass depending on what country you’re in. For tonne, it’s used as a measure of weight.
- Ton is used to measuring mass or density, and tonnes are sometimes also called metric tons.
- Ton is mainly an imperial unit, while tonne is the SI unit for measuring weight.
- A ton can be written in units like pounds in short form (e.g., “ton” in the tonne) or ton (e.g., “100 T” for ton), while tonne is only written as tonnes, with no abbreviation.
The Origin of Word Tonne
Ton and tonne are both Middle English words that come from Germanic. The term ‘tun’ came to describe the volume of a wine cask, which is equivalent to 954 litres. These massive barrels would have weighed close to a tonne now.
The French are also responsible for standardizing the metric system, including creating the first metre following the French Revolution. The term tonne is from the French’ tonneau’, meaning a wine cask and barrel.
Does UK Use Ton or Tonne?
UK tonne is equivalent to the US ton, and there is approximately 45.36 kg in one tonne.
The metric ton is commonly utilized in commercial and engineering applications. Informally, the Imperial ton may be used. However, there isn’t much of a difference between the Imperial and Metric ton (around 1.6 per cent), so it’s probably not that relevant for cheap, bulk materials like construction aggregate (albeit those are often sold by volume).
The Weights and Measurements Act of 1985 formally regulated the use of metric measures in trade.
There is one big exception, though, and that is shipping. The Imperial ton, sometimes known as the “long ton” to distinguish it from the much smaller US or “short” ton, is widely used in that industry, particularly for ship displacements.
Shipping tons are a unit of volume, not weight, and are equivalent to 40 cubic feet in the United States and 42 cubic feet in the United Kingdom.
When to Use Ton or Tonne?
Ton is commonly used in most places other than the United States, while tonne is mainly used for trade agreements and shipping. It all boils down to your location or what equations you’re using when it comes to tonvstonne.
Summary
Ton equals mass; tonneequals weight; Ton is heavier than tonne because it weighs more; according to imperial measurements, a ton is about 20% heavier than a tonne. Tonne is mainly used for trade agreements and shipping, while ton is commonly used in most places other than the United States.
