Tonne

This article is about the tonne or metric ton. For other tons, see ton. For the WWII fighter pilot, see Wolfgang Tonne.

A tonne (t) or metric ton, also referred to as a metric tonne or tonne métrique, is a measurement of mass equal to 1,000 kilograms, or 2204.6226 pounds. It is not an SI unit but is accepted for use with the SI. The proper SI unit for a tonne would be a "megagram" (Mg, see SI prefix), but this term is rarely used in practice. Though the spelling tonne predates the introduction of the SI system in 1960 (it has been used in France for about two and a half centuries, where it comes from), it is now used as the standard spelling for the metric mass measurement in some English-speaking countries. In the United States the correct term is metric ton. The comparable imperial and US customary units are spelled ton in English.

In the U.S. this unit was defined in 1866 as a millier or a tonneau (both French words). This measure was used in Europe centuries earlier; the millier was formerly 1000 livres (489.5 kg) and the tonneau was a wine cask size equivalent to the tun, containing ~904.8 L. However, neither of these latter words is in use in the U.S. and though they still appear in the statute, they have been declared obsolete by NIST.

Definition

1 tonne is defined as 1000 kilograms or 1 megagram (Mg) (kilokilogram is incorrect per CIPM, 1967: Recommendation 2)

Multiples

Multiple	Name	Symbol		Multiple	Name	Symbol		Multiple	Name	Symbol		Multiple	Name	Symbol
100	tonne	t		106	megagram	Mg		100	tonne	t		106	megagram	Mg
101	decatonne	dat		107	(none)	(none)		10–1	decitonne	dt		105	(none)	(none)
102	hectotonne	ht		108	(none)	(none)		10–2	centitonne	ct		104	(none)	(none)
103	kilotonne	kt		109	gigagram	Gg		10–3	millitonne	mt		103	kilogram	kg
106	megatonne	Mt		1012	teragram	Tg		10–6	microtonne	µt		100	gram	g
109	gigatonne	Gt		1015	petagram	Pg		10–9	nanotonne	nt		10-3	milligram	mg
1012	teratonne	Tt		1018	exagram	Eg		10–12	picotonne	pt		10-6	microgram	μ­g
1015	petatonne	Pt		1021	zettagram	Zg		10–15	femtotonne	ft		10-9	nanogram	ng
1018	exatonne	Et		1024	yottagram	Yg		10–18	attotonne	at		10-12	picogram	pg
1021	zettatonne	Zt		1027	(none)	(none)		10–21	zeptotonne	zt		10-15	femtogram	fg
1024	yottatonne	Yt		1030	(none)	(none)		10–24	yoctotonne	yt		10-18	attogram	ag

The fractional multipliers are rarely used with the tonne unit basis, as the gram is both more fundamental and uses more familiar scaling factors. Hence 10 kilograms is more common than 10 millitonnes, or 5 ng rather than 5 ft.

Origin

The spelling tonne is from Gallic and French. The term applied to the barrel of the largest size. In Old English the spelling was tunne, "cask" - a full cask about a metre high could easily weigh a tonne. The antiquated British wine cask volume measurement tun is close to a metric tonne in weight as it defines about 954 litres which for many commonly used liquids approximates to as many kilograms.

Conversions

One tonne is equivalent to:

• One megagram (exactly); symbol Mg
  • This is the official SI term, but not generally used in industry, in shipping nor Template:Wdyly
• 1000/0.45359237 pounds (exactly by definition), giving approximately
  • 2204.622 621 848 775 807 lb (to 19 significant digits)
  • 2204.622 622 lb (to ten significant digits)—an easy-to-remember figure
  • 2205 lb (to four significant digits)
• 98.44% of a long ton
  • One long ton (2240 lb) is 101.605% of a tonne
• 110.23% of a short ton
  • One short ton (2000 lb) is 90.72% of a tonne

Explanation

The official symbol is t. T and mT and mt (especially in the combination mmt for "million metric tons" compare to Mt for megatonne) are also sometimes used, but all of these are deprecated since they conflict with internationally agreed SI symbols. T is the SI symbol for the tesla and m is SI prefix 'milli', meaning 1000th (though in practice fractional prefixes aren't generally used with the tonne). Te is also sometimes used, particularly in the nuclear industry.

In France and the English-speaking countries that are predominantly metric, the spelling tonne is widespread. However, in Britain, the ton used prior to metrication was the long ton of 2240 pounds (approximately 1016 kg). This is so close to the tonne that many people draw little distinction and continue to use the old spelling. For example, even the Guinness Book of World Records accepts metrication without marking this by changing the spelling. For the United States, metric ton is the name for this unit used and recommended by NIST. In the U.S. an unqualified mention of a "ton" almost invariably refers to a short ton of 2000 lb (about 907 kg).

Like grams and kilograms, tonnes gave rise to a (now obsolete) force unit of the same name: 1 tonne-force = 9.80665 kilonewtons (kN), a unit also often called simply "tonne" or "metric ton" without identifying it as a unit of force. Note that it is only the tonne as a unit of mass which is accepted for use with SI; the tonne-force or metric ton-force is not acceptable for use with SI.

Use of mass as proxy for energy

Main article: TNT equivalent

The tonne of trinitrotoluene (TNT) is used as a proxy for energy. Prefixes are also used e.g. kilotonne, megatonne, gigatonne; especially for expressing nuclear weapon yield, based on a specific combustion energy of TNT of 4.184 MJ/kg (or one calorie—specifically a thermochemical calorie—per milligram). Hence, 1 kt TNT = 4.184 TJ, 1 Mt TNT = 4.184 PJ.

The SI unit of energy is the joule. Assuming that TNT contains 1000 small (thermochemical) calories per gram (4.184 kJ/g), one tonne TNT is more correctly referred to as 4.184 gigajoules. It is usually used to describe the energy of explosions.

Derived units

metric ton unit
A metric ton unit (MTU) can mean 10 kg (22.046226 pounds) within metal (e.g. tungsten, manganese) trading, particularly within the USA. It traditionally referred to a metric ton of ore containing 1% (i.e. 10 kg) of metal.

If the metal is uranium, the acronym 'MTU' is sometimes considered to be 'metric ton of uranium' i.e. 1000 kg.

See also

International System of Units Metre-tonne-second system of units, a system of measurement that uses the tonne as a base unit Units using the tonne ton of oil equivalent GTOE

Other tons short ton (S/T) long ton (L/T) tonnage ton (volume) Conversion of units Orders of magnitude (mass)

References

• NIST Special Publication 811, Guide for the Use of the International System of Units (SI)