What weighs an ounce?

[dstebbins]

As you know, a large paper clip weighs approximately one gram, give or take a few milligrams to accommodate the fact that each paper clip is different.

 

Is there a similar common, around-the-house object that I can hold in my hand to get an idea of how much a single ounce weighs?

[ydoaPs]

I thought ounce was volume.

[dstebbins]

It's both.

 

An ounce is either 1/8 of a cup, or 1/16 of a pound.

 

You're not from America, are you?

[Cap'n Refsmmat]

That's fluid ounces.

[Greippi]

28 paper clips.

[dstebbins]

28 paper clips.

 

Large ones?

[Cap'n Refsmmat]

Yup. 28 grams in an ounce.

[Phi for All]

Is there a similar common, around-the-house object that I can hold in my hand to get an idea of how much a single ounce weighs?

Five US quarters (25 cent piece) weighs an ounce. Probably more uniform than paper clips due to the limited number of manufacturers. Make sure they're minted after 1964 though.

[Greippi]

Or 8 UK Pennies.

[D H]

It's both.

 

An ounce is either 1/8 of a cup, or 1/16 of a pound.

Depends on which ounce you use (there are several).

 

That's fluid ounces.

The weight of a fluid ounce of water is just about an ounce. One imperial fluid ounce of water at 62 F weighs (weighed) exactly one avoirdupois ounce. A US customary fluid ounce, 1/128 of a US gallon, is a bit bigger than an imperial fluid ounce and weighs a bit more than an ounce. For whatever reason, the FDA uses its own definitions. From US regulation 21 CFR 101.9(b)(5)(viii),

For nutrition labeling purposes, a teaspoon means 5 milliliters (mL), a tablespoon means 15 mL, a cup means 240 mL, 1 fl oz means 30 mL, and 1 oz in weight means 28 g.

 

============================

 

Nobody has mentioned stuff that some shady people illicitly sell in plastic bags.

[Phi for All]

Nobody has mentioned stuff that some shady people illicitly sell in plastic bags.

That's a common, around-the-house object for you? Next staff meeting is at *your* place, D H.

[D H]

That's a common, around-the-house object for you? Next staff meeting is at *your* place, D H.

 

Not for me, personally. Not for decades and decades and decades. (What happened in the 60s stays in the 60s.)

[StringJunky]

4 UK 2P's = 8 UK 1P's = 16 UK 1/2p's = 1 ounce. A 2P is also 1inch in diameter. Seeing as this was decimal coinage I find it highly amusing that the physical dimensions and weight are Imperial even though we were supposed to be harmonising with the European system of weights and measures. These measurements are dead on and not approx by my measurements.

 

Next year the UK will have been decimalised for forty years and ,still, the Imperial system lingers.

Edited May 9, 2010 by StringJunky

[Double K]

The reason coinage stayed weighted in ounces is it used to always be measured against the gold standard (which is still measured today in $/ounce)

 

Coins, until not that long ago also contained a certain amount of precious or semi precious metal - nickel, copper, gold, silver...

 

Nowadays they are pretty much junk, as we have shifted off the gold standard and are using a FIAT system.

 

I'll save my thoughts on how flawed a FIAT system is for another post...

[Moontanman]

WOW, a baggie that contains a whole ounce? Even I am not that old, I am definitely not that rich

[John Cuthber]

Or 8 UK Pennies.

 

Does that work with the steel ones and the bronze ones?

[ewmon]

5 American quarters = 0.996 ounces.

[FooFiFum]

I believe gold is measured in Troy Ounces. Silver, however, might be measured in Veronica ounces. I don't know. Where or where is my second Pint....is that Imperial, or colonial?

 

Then there is fuel economy. In the US we use miles per gallon. These gallons were always much larger in Canada, I think, until they converted to the bio-metric system. Continental Europe measures how many kilometers you can travel on one liter of fuel. Now THATS one hell of a conversion.

 

In the US CocaCola comes in two liter bottles, 16 ounce bottles, and nostalgia 6 1/2 Columbian ounces. These are no longer bottled at thermonuclear pressures. I am old enough to know actual individuals who were wounded by actual exploding coke bottles, even though said bottles were as optically thick as coke bottles.

 

Maybe one more 12 ounce beer will make things clear ounce again.

---

Merged post follows:

Consecutive posts merged

And why are Grham Crackers delivered in 12 ounce boxes? At one time I was involved in a study of metric conversion in the US and found Samuel Cabot sold paint in four liter containers. I contacted the can manufacturer and asked about these four liter cans.

 

The spokesperson told me they had NEVER sold four liter buckets. However, Samuel Cabot had, inexplicably, ordered 1.06 gallon cans.

[Double K]

I believe gold is measured in Troy Ounces.

 

6 1/2 Columbian ounces.

 

Yes that's true, they are in Troy Ounces..

also,

I believe this wasn't the only thing measured in columbian ounces contained in coca-cola??