Skill: Convert customary weight units

Explanation and Free Practice Resources

Understanding customary weight conversion means interpreting ounces, pounds, and tons as equivalent measures linked by 16 ounces = 1 pound and 2,000 pounds = 1 ton, then using multiplication or division to rename a quantity without changing its weight. Quantities may include whole numbers, simple fractions, decimals, or mixed units; metric conversions and more generalized unit-rate systems are outside this scope.

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Detailed Explanation: Convert customary weight units

To convert customary weight units, use these facts:

$16$ ounces $= 1$ pound
$2{,}000$ pounds $= 1$ ton

When changing to a smaller unit, multiply. For example, pounds become ounces, so multiply by $16$ .

Example: Convert $3$ pounds $4$ ounces to ounces.

Convert the $3$ pounds to ounces:

3 \times 16 = 48\text{ ounces}

Add the extra $4$ ounces:

48 + 4 = 52\text{ ounces}

So,

3\text{ pounds }4\text{ ounces}=52\text{ ounces}.

The weight did not change—we only renamed it using ounces.

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Measurement Conversion - Customary Mass Units with Sub Units

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