A ton is a unit of weight that describes units of mass. There are several similar units of mass or volume called the ton, which can cause confusion. The different types of ton include:
- Long ton: Also known as the British (imperial) ton, it is equal to 2,240 pounds (1,016.0 kilograms) .
- Short ton: Also known as the US ton, it is equal to 2,000 pounds (907.2 kilograms) .
- Tonne: Also called the metric ton, it is equal to 1,000 kilograms (about 2,204.6 pounds) or 1 megagram.
The ton is derived from the tun, the term applied to a cask of the largest capacity. This could contain a volume between 175 and 213 imperial gallons (210 and 256 US gal; 800 and 970 L), which could weigh around 2,000 pounds (910 kg) and occupy some 60 cubic feet (1.7 m3) of space.
