What is a Metric Ton?
The metric ton is a measuring unit of weight. It is used in a maximum number of countries and one metric ton means a thousand kilograms of weight. Generally, one metric ton is also equivalent to 2204.6 pounds. The terminology metric ton is derived from the word tun. Usually, tuns are large or huge barrels used to trade wine in most regions of the world. The term tun again has been derived from the French word Tonnerre which means thunder. It is because of the large rumbling noise these barrels produce while being transferred from one location to the other due to rolling. Let’s take a deeper look into what metric ton means actually.
What is Mt in Weight?
Often mt is used in measuring weight. But what is mt in weight? The abbreviation mt means in weight as simply the unit metric ton. In the avoirdupois system of units, the ton is one of the major units of weight. It is approved worldwide. In the United States of America, one metric ton means 907.18 kilograms or two thousand pounds. While in Britain, per metric ton is equivalent to 1016.05 kilograms or two thousand two hundred and forty pounds. The former is known as the short ton while the latter is known as the long ton. Now, a metric ton is acclaimed in most of the countries worldwide as thousand kilograms or 2204.6 pounds as stated before. The metric ton or ton is equivalent to 0.984 long tons and similarly 1.102 short tons. The same weight can be expressed as Mega gram which is the official SI unit. But this unit is not as popular as ton in general.
Symbol of Metric Ton
Now that we know what a metric ton is, we can proceed with knowing its symbol and abbreviations. The international bureau of weights and measures has given the symbol t for ton. It was later accepted as the official unit back in 1879. The metric ton in the USA has also been officially accepted by the National Institute of Standards and Technology. But one thing to be remembered is that it is the symbol and not the abbreviation. It should not be followed by a period. But some letter case combinations can lead to confusion. For example, MT, mt, mT, T, and Mt are SI units used for mega tesla, millitonne or a kilogram, mini tesla, tesla, and megatonne respectively. Like, in terms of energy a megaton of TNT is equivalent to 4.184 pent joules.
Alternative Metric Ton Usage
Metric ton in the US metal trading industry usually means ten kilograms. Generally, it also refers to the metric ton of an ore that will contain one percent of the original metal. Also, in the case of MTU, it is referred to as metric tons of uranium or thousand kilograms of uranium. In the coal mining industry gigaton is also used.
Ton also gave birth to a new unit of force just like kilograms and grams. It is known as a ton force and is equal to 9.8 kilos Newton. It is also referred to as metric ton or ton, in general, to be referred to as a unit of force. The metric ton force or ton force is not acceptable by the SI unit standards. While a ton as a mass unit is acceptable. It is because ton force is not an exact multiple of Newton which is the SI unit of force.
Ton as a Unit of Volume
Often, the freight itself or a ship’s cargo capacity is also referred to as ton. Here ton or metric ton is referred to as a unit of volume. Forty cubic feet is known as the measurement ton. The register ton refers to hundred cubic feet. 35 cubic feet is also known as a long ton of seawater traditionally. The English water ton is equivalent to 224 BIS gallons used to measure petroleum products. We also have a wheat ton and timber ton of 20 bushels and 40 cubic meters respectively. But generally, a metric ton means 1000 kilograms. The units of Imperial United States Customary as well as ton or metric ton, both are spelled as ton in English. But they may differ in mass.
Did You Know?
In 1985, the Weights and Measures Act of the UK banned the use of many imperial units which included tons.
A full tune or barrels used for wine trade easily weighed one ton due to which the term ton or ton was developed from the word tun and is equal to a thousand kilograms.
Metric Ton
Ton can be defined as the unit of weight in the system of avoirdupois system. This is equal to 2000 pounds or 907.18 kg according to the United States and 2240 pounds or 1016.05 kg in British measuring standards. Ton is used as a measurement of larger weight. Ton is also used as a unit of volume e.g. it may be referred to as the capacity of cargo of the ships or the freight. There are various types of capacity that have existed for different commodities e.g. water ton in British measurements is used to measure the products of petroleum and has the value of 224 British Imperial System gallons. Similarly, the timer is measured as 40 cubic feet and wheat ton of 20 bushels of United States.
Thus, the ton is a measurement unit and has a long history of usage where it has been given different meaning and usage over the past years. Principally, it is used for the measurement of weight. Its first usage was when it was used as a measurement of volume which was used to measure ship cargo’s capacity and was defined in terms of freight ton. The recent usage of ton has been more specialized which uses ton as a measure of energy and for the classification of trucks. It is a colloquial term which defines ton as the heaviest unit to measure weight. In an informal way, it is also used to mean a large amount of something, a material or not. The ton is used for measuring volume units which range from 35-100 cubic feet capacity. Furthermore, it is used as an energy unit or refrigeration unit that is also called the ton of refrigeration.
FAQs on Metric Ton - Unit of Weight
1. What exactly is a metric ton?
A metric ton is a standard unit used to measure mass, equal to exactly 1,000 kilograms. It is part of the International System of Units (SI) and is often spelled as 'tonne'. The official symbol for the metric ton is 't'. For example, the mass of a small car is typically measured in metric tons.
2. How do you convert a metric ton into other common units like kilograms and quintals?
Converting a metric ton is quite simple because it is based on multiples of 10. To find the value in kilograms or quintals, you can use these standard conversions:
1 metric ton = 1,000 kilograms (kg)
1 metric ton = 10 quintals
3. What is the difference between a 'metric ton', a 'tonne', and a 'ton'?
Yes, these terms can be confusing but refer to different weights. 'Tonne' is the international spelling for a metric ton, which is always 1,000 kg. However, 'ton' can mean different things depending on the region:
Metric Ton (or Tonne): Used globally and equals 1,000 kg (about 2,204.6 pounds).
Short Ton: Used mainly in the United States and equals 2,000 pounds (about 907 kg).
Long Ton: The traditional British unit, which equals 2,240 pounds (about 1,016 kg).
So, a metric ton is slightly heavier than a short ton but a bit lighter than a long ton.
4. Why is a metric ton sometimes related to the volume of water?
This connection is a key feature of the metric system's design. The system logically links mass and volume using water as a standard. One litre of pure water has a mass of one kilogram. Since a cubic meter contains 1,000 litres of water, its mass is 1,000 kilograms—which is the exact definition of one metric ton. This creates a simple bridge between volume and mass.
5. How is the word 'ton' used to measure the power of explosions?
In this context, a 'ton' refers to a unit of energy, not mass. It's called the 'ton of TNT equivalent'. This unit measures the energy released in a large explosion. For instance, the power of nuclear weapons is often described in kilotons (thousands of tons of TNT) or megatons (millions of tons of TNT), representing the explosive energy they release.
6. I've heard of a 'ton of refrigeration'. What does that measure?
A 'ton of refrigeration' is a unit of power, not weight, used in the air conditioning industry. It describes the rate at which a cooling system can remove heat. Specifically, it's the amount of heat energy needed to melt one short ton (2,000 pounds) of ice over a 24-hour period. So, it measures cooling capacity, not how much something weighs.
7. What is the correct symbol for a metric ton?
The official, internationally accepted symbol for the metric ton is a lowercase 't'. While you might see other abbreviations like 'MT' or 'mt' used informally, 't' is the correct symbol according to the International System of Units (SI).
8. When someone says they have a 'ton of work', what do they mean?
This is an informal or colloquial use of the word 'ton'. In everyday language, it's a figure of speech that simply means 'a very large amount' of something. It has no scientific connection to the 1,000 kg unit and is just used to add emphasis in a conversation, similar to saying you have 'loads' of work to do.
