Ounces in a pound

There are 16 ounces (oz) in 1 pound (lb) in the US customary and imperial systems of measurement. These systems of measurement use the definitions of the avoirdupois pound and ounce. There are other definitions of the pound and ounce, but the definition used by the avoirdupois system is the most common.

Ounces to pounds converter

The following converter converts ounces to pounds or pounds to ounces. Just enter a value in either ounces or pounds to convert between the two

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How many ounces in a pound

There are 16 oz in a pound. This is specifically for the international avoirdupois pound. In some other definitions of the pound, such as the troy pound, there are 12 ounces in 1 pound. There are yet other relationships between ounces and pounds, but if not explicity stated, anything on this page refers to the international pound.

1 lb = 16 oz

How many pounds in an ounce

There are 0.0625 pounds in one ounce:

1 oz = 0.0625 lb

How to convert ounces to pounds

To convert ounces to pounds, multiply or divide by the appropriate conversion factors, as shown below:

Ounces to pounds formula

The formula for converting ounces to pounds is:

Pounds to ounces formula

The formula for converting pounds to ounces is:

Below are some ounce to pounds or pounds to ounces examples.

What is a pound

A pound is a measurement of mass in the US customary and imperial systems of measurement.

Types of pound

There are two different definitions of the pound still in use today: the international avoirdupois pound and the troy pound.

Avoirdupois pound

The International Avoirdupois Pound, the current international standard, is the most widely used version of the pound. It is defined as exactly 453.59237 grams. There are 16 oz in a pound in the avoirdupois system.

Troy pound

The troy pound is a version of the pound that originated in the United Kingdom as part of the imperial system of units. It is defined as exactly 373.24172 grams. Unlike the International Avoirdupois Pound, which has 16 ounces, there are only 12 ounces in a troy pound. The troy pound is mostly used for measuring the weight of precious metals and gems such as opals, platinum, silver, and gold.

Pound history

The pound is a unit of measurement based on the Roman libra, which was based on the mass of a bronze bar. The libra is where the pound abbreviation "lb" comes from. Many different definitions of the pound were used throughout the course of history. The avoirdupois system, which used a version of the pound from which the International Avoirdupois Pound was developed, originated in the 13th century. Due to the numerous definitions of the pound in use, by international agreement, the International Avoirdupois Pound was defined in 1959.

Use of the pound

The pound is mostly used in the United States and the United Kingdom. It is not really used in most other countries in the world, which instead use kilograms, the base unit of mass in the International System of Units.

In the United States, one of the most common uses of the pound is for the measurement of a person's weight. Similarly, in the United Kingdom, pounds are used alongside stones to measure a person's weight. For example, a person who weighs 75 kilograms would state their weight in the United States as 165.347 pounds, while a person in the United Kingdom would state theirs as 11 stones and 11.347 pounds.

What is an ounce

An avoirdupois ounce is a measurement of mass in the United States customary and imperial systems of measurement.

Ounce definition

There are a few definitions of the ounce still in use today: the International Avoirdupois Ounce and the troy ounce. Furthermore, the term "ounce" is commonly used to describe a measurement of mass (as we discuss here) as well as a measurement of volume (fluid ounce).

Avoirdupois ounce

The International Avoirdupois Ounce is defined as exactly 28.349523125 grams. There are 16 avoirdupois ounces in 1 avoirdupois pound. This is the most commonly used definition of the ounce, primarily in the United States where it used for many different food measurements. Even in the United Kingdom, the ounce is not really used outside of certain portion sizes such as for burgers or steaks.

Troy ounce

The troy ounce is defined as exactly 31.1034768 grams. There are 12 troy ounces in a troy pound. The troy ounce is rarely used. Bullion coins are the most common product measured in troy ounces. Other precious metals such as gold, platinum, palladium, rhodium, and silver are also measured in troy ounces.

Ounce vs fluid ounce

An ounce is a measurement of mass while a fluid ounce is a measurement of volume. Although they use the same name, fluid ounces and ounces are entirely different measures. When a person says "ounce," they could be referring to either the dry ounce or the fluid ounce; to determine which, we need to pay attention to the context. If for example, we are talking about a 7 oz steak, that measure refers to a dry ounce. If someone drinks 16 ounces of coffee, that measure refers to a fluid ounce. To avoid confusion, saying "ounce" alone most typically refers to a dry ounce, unless the context indicates otherwise. When referring to a measurement of volume, it is good practice to specify fluid ounces rather than simply saying ounces.

Ounce history

The ounce originates from the Roman "uncia" which means a "twelfth part." The Roman system used a copper bar to define both the pound and the foot. The copper bar was divided into twelve equal parts, each of which measured one Roman ounce. There have been many other definitions of the ounce throughout the course of history before its standardization as the International Avoirdupois Ounce in 1959.

Use of the ounce

The ounce is a standard unit of measurement in the United States customary system and is commonly used for the measurement of food portions and products. For the most part, ounces are no longer officially used in the United Kingdom due to metrication, but they are used in a limited capacity, particularly the troy ounce.

Pound to ounce conversion table

The table below shows some ounce to pounds conversions.