In various sources translated into Russian, you can often find a mention of an ounce. It is a unit of mass, weight or volume used in most British traditional measurement systems. A typical ounce of averdupois (approximately 28.3 g) is 1/16 of the total weight of a pound.
This is a classic unit for the United States and Britain. It is mainly used in the United States of America when weighing packaged food and servings, mail, and also to determine the density of tissue and paper, boxing gloves, etc. Sometimes it can be found in the English language in other processes.
Varieties
Beyond the usual, several other ounces are currently in use. These can be measurements of different quantities. This unit is not only used to clarify weight. It is used in such cases:
- A troy ounce weighing about 31.1 grams is used to determine the mass of precious metals such as gold, silver, platinum, palladium, rhodium, etc.
- An ounce-force is a measure of weight, that is, mass.
- Fluid ounce is a measure of volume.
Historically, it was used in many industries in various fields, where it was required to measure mass or volume.
Etymology of the name
Where did the term ounce come from? This name comes from the Latin uncia - a unit that was one-twelfth of the Roman pound (a measure of weight).
The name was borrowed twice. At first, the Old English language was spoken as "insan" or "indansan" (this is a distorted form of Latin). Then in late medieval English they began to use the word ounce.
The abbreviation oz came later from the related Italian word onza (now spelled oncia).
Why there is no single standard
An ounce is a unit that is measured in different ways. The explanation for this is as follows. It has been used historically in many parts of the world, at different points in history and for various applications. Therefore, unequal mass standards were taken as a basis.
How much does an ounce weigh in different values? The international version of averdupua calls 28.349523125 437.5 grams. The international troy ounce is 31.1034768 480 grams, the French ounce - 30.59 grams. There are other numerical values. It is worth knowing more about what types of this unit of measurement are used in the modern world.
Averdupua International System (oz)
An international ounce is 28.349523125 grams, according to the International Yard and Pound Agreement of 1959. It was signed by the United States of America and the countries of the Commonwealth of Nations.
In the overdup system, sixteen ounces make up a pound of the same name. It is defined as follows: 7000 grains. Therefore, one ounce in total is 437.5 grains.
It is still the standard unit of weight in the United States. In the UK, it ceased to be a legal unit of measure in 2000, but is still widely used on an informal basis. It is also a traditional measure of serving sizes in British restaurants.
International Troy Oz (ozt)
This unit is 480 grains. Therefore, the troy unit is equal to 31.1034768 grams. In the now obsolete pound of the same name, there are 12 troy ounces.
Today, this measure is used only to express the mass of precious metals such as gold, platinum, palladium, rhodium or silver. Bullion coins are the most common product produced and sold in troy ounces. However, precious metal bullions also exist in grams and kilograms.
What is the weight of an ounce in these products? A kilogram bar contains 32.15074657 troy ounces. Throughout history, this measure has been used extensively to weigh gold. It has the following classification:
- Thin is a troy ounce that measures the content of pure gold in an ingot. It is calculated as follows: a sample multiplied by a gross weight.
- The standard is a measure of 22 carat gold with a purity of 91.66% (the proportion of precious metal to alloy is 11: 1).
Metric ounces
Some countries have revised these units in the metric system. Therefore, the question of how many grams per ounce will have different answers. It depends on the country of use. For example, a German pharmacy ounce weighing 30 grams is very close to the previously widespread Nuremberg one. However, its divisions and multiple values are expressed in the metric system.
In 1820, the Dutch redefined their ounce (in this country, its abbreviation looks ons). In the Netherlands, it is 100 grams. Such metric amendments were also adopted and used in Indonesia. In particular, they are studied according to the general education program of an elementary school. This measure is also mentioned in Indonesia's national dictionary.
Pharmacies weights measure (obsolete)
The weight of an ounce of this species is similar to troy. Previously, it was used by pharmacists to measure components in the preparation of medicines, but today it is no longer used.
Ounce of Maria Theresa
This unit of measure was once introduced in Ethiopia and some European countries. It was equal to the weight of one thaler "Maria Teresa", amounted to 28.0668 grams. Its weight and value are equal to one birr - the measure of measurement that is still used in modern Ethiopia, especially in Eritrea.
Spanish variety
The pound in this southern country has traditionally been 460 grams. The Spanish ounce was 1/16 pound, or 28.75 g.
Tower
This unit of 450 grains was used by the masters of the English mints, the main of which was the Tower. Its value goes back to the Anglo-Saxon coin weight standard. Tower ounce was canceled in favor of the Troy by Henry VIII. It happened in 1527.
Fl oz
This is a unit of volume equal to approximately 28.4 ml in the English system. In the US, the figure is about 29.6 ml.
Fluid ounce (fl oz) was originally the volume occupied by products such as wine (in England) or water (in Scotland). The value of the unit in question varied depending on the liquid measurement system (for example, used for wine or ale).
For centuries, various ounces have been used, for example, tower and troy. In international trade, French was especially popular. Therefore, the value of an ounce in ml has always been different. The situation was aggravated by medieval practice, when the unit of measurement was not necessarily equal to the sum of its parts.
In 1824, the British Parliament defined a gallon as the volume of ten pounds of water at standard temperature. It was divided into four quarts, a quart into two pints, a pint into four jilas, and the last into five ounces. For many, this system seems rather confusing. According to her, there were 160 British fluid ounces per gallon. The result was that the weight of water in this measurement system was approximately 28.4 grams. This relationship is approximately true, despite the fact that the definition of the British gallon has already been revised to 4.54609 liters, resulting in a fluid ounce volume of 28.4130625 ml.
What has changed in the USA
The volume and weight of this unit in the United States is based on the American gallon. Its value is 231 cubic inches of wine. In other words, we can say that this is a measure that was used in England until 1824. With the adoption of the international inch, the value of a fluid ounce in the USA began to be exactly 29.5735295625 ml, or approximately four percent more than in the British unit.
Other use
The unit in question is also used to express the surface density of textile fabric in North America, Asia or the UK. The essence of this measurement is to determine the mass of a certain amount of matter. For example, the density of high-quality denim by these standards is 16 ounces, and only 1 to 3 for organza and chiffon.