Convert Pounds To Ounces

Convert pounds to ounces

Enter a value in pounds to convert it to ounces:

Pound

Definition: A pound (symbol: lb) is a unit of mass used in the imperial and US customary systems of measurement. The international avoirdupois pound (the common pound used today) is defined as exactly 0.45359237 kilograms. The avoirdupois pound is equivalent to 16 avoirdupois ounces.

History/origin: The pound descended from the Roman libra, and numerous different definitions of the pound were used throughout history prior to the international avoirdupois pound that is widely used today. The avoirdupois system is a system that was commonly used in the 13^th century. It was updated to its current form in 1959. It is a system that was based on a physical standardized pound that used a prototype weight. This prototype weight could be divided into 16 ounces, a number that had three even divisors (8, 4, 2). This convenience could be the reason that the system was more popular than other systems of the time that used 10, 12, or 15 subdivisions.

Current use: The pound as a unit of weight is widely used in the United States, often for measuring body weight. Many versions of the pound existed in the past in the United Kingdom (UK), and although the UK largely uses the International System of Units, pounds are still used within certain contexts, such as labelling of packaged foods (by law the metric values must also be displayed). The UK also often uses both pounds and stones when describing body weight, where a stone is comprised of 14 pounds.

Ounce

Definition: An ounce (symbol: oz) is a unit of mass in the imperial and US customary systems of measurement. The avoirdupois ounce (the common ounce) is defined as exactly 28.349523125 grams and is equivalent to one sixteenth of an avoirdupois pound.

History/origin: The origin of the term ounce stems from the Roman uncia, which means a “twelfth part,” and the use of a standardized copper bar which defined both the Roman pound and foot. The copper bar was divided into twelve equal parts, called unciae. This relationship between the Roman pound and foot eventually contributed to the uncia being the basis of the modern inch as well as the common ounce. The ounce has been used as a standard of mass throughout history for different applications and with different definitions. Examples include the Dutch metric ounce (100g), French ounce (30.59g), and the Spanish ounce (28.75g), among others. The current definition of the ounce, the international avoirdupois ounce was adopted in 1959.

Current use: The ounce is still a standard unit of mass in the US customary system of measurement. It is mostly used in the United States for measuring packaged food products, food portions, and postal items, among other things. The ounce is still used in some other countries around the world that have roots in British history and culture. Due to metrication, the United Kingdom (UK) no longer officially uses the ounce. It is however, still used in some settings in the UK, such as restaurants.