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Pounds to tonnes

Multiply pounds by 0.000453592 to get tonnes.

1 lb = 0.000453592 tNIST HB 44 · BIPM SI
lb
2.268t

5,000 lb = 2.268 t

How to convert pounds to tonnes

The tonne is exactly 1000 kilograms — the metric ton. The pound is exactly 0.45359237 kilograms — the international avoirdupois pound fixed by the 1959 agreement of the US, UK and Commonwealth.

Worked example — 5,000 lb: 5,000 × 0.000453592 = 2.268 t.

Pounds to tonnes table

Common conversions. The reverse table is on tonnes to pounds.
PoundsTonnes
500 lb0.226796 t
1,000 lb0.453592 t
2,000 lb0.907185 t
2,205 lb1.0002 t
5,000 lb2.268 t
10,000 lb4.5359 t
20,000 lb9.0718 t
50,000 lb22.6796 t
100,000 lb45.3592 t

Reverse and related

About pounds and tonnes

Pound (lb)

1 lb = 0.000453592 t

Definition. Exactly 0.45359237 kilograms — the international avoirdupois pound fixed by the 1959 agreement of the US, UK and Commonwealth

History and origin

The pound descends from the Roman libra, whose name still gives the symbol lb. Many regional pounds circulated for centuries before the 16-ounce avoirdupois pound became the English-speaking standard for trade. In 1959 the United States, the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth countries signed the international yard and pound agreement, fixing the pound at exactly 0.45359237 kilograms.

Current use

The pound is the everyday unit of weight in the United States, and informally in the United Kingdom, for body weight, food packaging and shipping, while most of the world states the same weights in kilograms.

Source: NIST Handbook 44, Appendix C §5 (Tables of Equivalents)

Tonne (t)

1 t = 2,204.6226 lb

Definition. Exactly 1000 kilograms — the metric ton

History and origin

The tonne, or metric ton, was defined as exactly 1000 kilograms as the metric system spread, giving a convenient unit for heavy loads. It is accepted for use with the SI.

Current use

Tonnes measure bulk and freight weight, vehicle mass and industrial quantities throughout the metric world.

Source: BIPM, The International System of Units (SI), 9th ed. (2019)

Where people use this

Pounds: body weight in the US, gym plates, shipping weights. Tonnes: bulk and freight weight, vehicles. 2205 lb is about 1 tonne.

How we know this is right
The factor is fixed by the standards that define the units, not chosen — so it is exact, not a measurement:
1 t = 2,204.622622 lb, so 1 lb = 1 ÷ 2,204.622622 = 0.000453592 t.

Every value is carried to full double precision; the display is rounded.

Sources: BIPM, The International System of Units (SI), 9th ed. (2019); NIST Handbook 44, Appendix C §5 (Tables of Equivalents).

Questions people ask

How many tonnes is 2205 lb?

2205 pounds is about 1 tonne (a tonne is 2204.6 lb).

How many tonnes is 5000 lb?

5000 pounds is about 2.27 tonnes.

Is a tonne the same as a ton?

No. A tonne (metric ton) is 1000 kg, about 2204.6 lb. A US short ton is 2000 lb and a UK long ton is 2240 lb.

All pound conversions