An avoirdupois pound is exactly 0.45359237 kilograms.
Pounds to Long tons Converter — lb to long ton
Convert Pound (lb) to Long ton (long ton) using the exact conversion factor (1 pound = 0.0004464286 long ton). See the formula, worked examples, conversion table, history, and common uses.
Pounds to Long tons converter
Converter
Mass/Weight Converter
Convert SI mass, imperial weight, jewelry, atomic, and astronomy mass units.
A British long ton is 2,240 pounds.
Result = input x 0.45359237 / 1016.046909.
Mass uses the kilogram as the base unit.
Reserved above the conversion cards and below the converter.
About Converting Pounds to Long tons
Weight conversions between Pound and Long ton come up constantly in everyday commerce, shipping, and cooking, since US packaging is usually labeled in pounds while most of the rest of the world uses kilograms. Pound is most often used for body weight and food retail packaging in the united states.
Formula
long tons = pounds × 0.000446428571429
This factor comes from each unit's defined relationship to the category's base unit: 1 pound equals 0.45359237 base units, and 1 long ton equals 1016.0469088 base units, so dividing one by the other gives the direct pound-to-long ton factor of 0.000446428571429.
Simple example
1 lb × 0.0004464285714 = 0.0004464286 long ton
1 pound = 0.0004464286 long tons.
Real-world example
50 lb × 0.0004464285714 = 0.0223214286 long ton
50 pounds = 0.0223214286 long tons.
Conversion table
| Pound (lb) | Long ton (long ton) |
|---|---|
| 1 lb | 0.0004464286 long ton |
| 5 lb | 0.0022321429 long ton |
| 10 lb | 0.0044642857 long ton |
| 25 lb | 0.0111607143 long ton |
| 50 lb | 0.0223214286 long ton |
| 100 lb | 0.0446428571 long ton |
Reverse conversion: Long ton to Pound
0.0004464286 long ton × 2240 = 1.000000064 lb
0.0004464286 long tons = 1.000000064 pounds.
pounds = long tons × 2240
For a page dedicated to this direction, see Long ton to Pound.
Understanding the Pound
Pound (lb) measures mass. The avoirdupois pound is legally defined as exactly 0.45359237 kilograms, fixed by international treaty in 1959. It is classified as a US/imperial customary unit.
Where it's used: United States (primary mass/weight unit) United Kingdom (informal and some retail use) Various Caribbean and Pacific territories with historical UK/US ties
Pound-mass vs. pound-force. This page converts pound-mass (lbm), a unit of mass. Pound-force (lbf) is a separate unit measuring the force gravity exerts on one pound-mass, used in engineering contexts like pounds per square inch.
Uses of the Pound today
- Body weight and food retail packaging in the United States
- Postal, parcel, and freight weight in US shipping and logistics
- Pound-force (lbf) and its derivatives (psi, foot-pounds) in US engineering and aerospace
History of the Pound
Unlike the kilogram's single documented birth in revolutionary France, the pound's history is a long, layered narrowing of competing regional standards. The avoirdupois pound — ancestor of today's standard — emerged among London merchants in the early 14th century (recorded use around 1303), used for weighing wool and other bulk goods under the system merchants called 'avoir de pois,' Old French for 'goods of weight.' Its 16-ounce structure suited large-scale trade better than the 12-ounce troy pound used for precious metals.
Wool merchants used a related 'wool pound' of about 6,992 grains — close enough to 7,000 that Elizabeth I's government formally fixed the avoirdupois pound at exactly 7,000 grains in 1588, the value still used today. Britain and the US then refined their physical standards separately over the following centuries, leaving small discrepancies between them.
Those discrepancies were resolved on 1 July 1959, when the US, UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa signed the International Yard and Pound Agreement, fixing the pound at exactly 0.45359237 kg and the yard at exactly 0.9144 m. The US National Bureau of Standards (now NIST) adopted the value immediately; the UK followed via its Weights and Measures Act 1963 — the value used by virtually every country today.
Historical origin. Pound was not the invention of a single named person; it developed through the process described above.
Understanding the Long ton (long ton)
A British long ton is 2,240 pounds.
Pound — sources
- NIST — International yard and pound, Federal Register notice (1959) — Official 1959 refinement of the yard and pound values adopted by the US National Bureau of Standards.
- Encyclopaedia Britannica — 'Pound (unit of weight)' — History of the Tower, troy, and avoirdupois pounds and their standardization in England.
- UK Weights and Measures Act 1963, s.1(1) — Statutory UK definition of the pound as exactly 0.45359237 kilogram.
Reserved between the cards and the FAQ so the page stays balanced.
Frequently asked questions
How many long tons are in 1 pound?
1 pound equals 0.0004464286 long tons, using the exact defined conversion factor rather than an estimate.
How do I convert pound to long ton?
Multiply the pound value by 0.0004464285714. The converter above does this instantly to whatever precision you set.
How do I convert long ton back to pound?
Use the reverse factor: 1 long ton equals 2,240 pounds. You can also use the swap control in the converter above to flip the direction instantly.
What is a pound?
Pound (lb) measures mass. The avoirdupois pound is legally defined as exactly 0.45359237 kilograms, fixed by international treaty in 1959. It is classified as a US/imperial customary unit.
What is a long ton?
Long ton (long ton) is a unit of mass/weight.
Is the pound to long ton conversion exact?
Yes. The avoirdupois pound is legally defined as exactly 0.45359237 kilograms, fixed by international treaty in 1959. That fixed definition is what the converter above uses, so any rounding you see is a display choice, not a limitation of the math.
What is the difference between pound-mass vs. pound-force?
This page converts pound-mass (lbm), a unit of mass. Pound-force (lbf) is a separate unit measuring the force gravity exerts on one pound-mass, used in engineering contexts like pounds per square inch.
Where is the pound still used today?
United States (primary mass/weight unit) United Kingdom (informal and some retail use) Various Caribbean and Pacific territories with historical UK/US ties