Many of you, of course, have heard the word “ounce”. But does everyone know what it means? It's outdated and more. By the way, this concept has a rich history. And in some sectors of the economy you can’t do without it. So 1 ounce how many grams weighs?

Word

Without a doubt, this is a term of Latin origin. In ancient Rome, this was the name given to one twelfth of the libra, the main measure of weight. However, not only mass was measured with it. In general, it may seem that the Romans were very fond of this word.

They often said: “I walked four ounces of the way to...” or “I read three ounces of the book.” What did this mean? Is it really possible to measure distance using scales? Of course not. An ounce is another twelfth of something. Well, either one tenth or thirteenth - depending on the country and time. So what else was measured for her? And How? Also in Ancient Rome, an ounce was called a coin. When minting, one dot was placed on it. The coin, of course, had a small denomination. It was made from an alloy of tin, copper and lead. Some Spanish (doubloons) and Chinese gold coins were also called this way.

Measures

So, an ounce is, of course, not only It is also two and one - forces. In general, to find out the mass, there are several ounces. The Romans, as mentioned above, also used it to measure length, area, capacity and even the size of an inheritance. Thus, 1 ounce of length in Ancient Rome was equal to 0.0246 meters. And the surface (area) there was measured using jugers. Accordingly, one twelfth of it - 1 ounce - is equal to 209.91 meters.

Varieties

The ancient Roman measure of weight - 1 ounce (one twelfth of a libra) was equal to 28.34 g. It seems quite a bit. But it was also divided into lobes: semuntia, sicilicus, scrupula and siliqua. The latter were as many as 144 in an ounce.

Before the metric system of measures, the ounce was widespread in Europe. It is still in use today. However, not all weights with this name are the same. Let's take a closer look at the most famous ones.

Troy ounce

Probably the most can be said about this unit of measurement. Currently it is used for weighing precious metals. It is also a unit when trading the latter on special exchanges.

There, prices for gold and other precious metals are determined precisely on the basis of one troy ounce. Its weight in metric terms is approximately 31.103 grams. As you can see, it is different from a regular ounce. It is also used in jewelry and banking. It is also used to measure the weight of valuable ingredients in cosmetology. But how did it come about?

The origin of this term can be dated back to the thirteenth century AD. Some may find it surprising, but this measure has nothing to do with the legendary city of Troy. And she appeared in the French city of Troyes. There, at that time (12-13 centuries, and according to some sources - from the 5th century), three-month fairs became very popular, which attracted people from many European countries. The abundance of different currencies (in France at that time almost every city had its own money) and weights (each product had its own) created confusion in trade, and therefore after some time it was decided to take the French livre, which contained a pound of silver, as the standard.

1 troy ounce, respectively, is one twelfth of this weight measure. There is an opinion that this could not have happened without the participation of the French crown. In any case, the unit seemed very convenient. After all, this coin weighed exactly a pound. And at that time, money was valued precisely for its weight. It was later that the precious metal in them began to be replaced with nickel or copper. However, kings came and went. And control over the minters, of whom there were quite a lot, was not always at a sufficient level. So silver became less and less. Very often, precious coins were cut off altogether in order to extract silver or gold. Therefore, it was necessary to introduce standard coinage with a clear boundary. Over time, gold and silver, of course, have significantly increased in value and the value of all world coins. And they practically stopped adding them there.

Coins

Currently, banks in many countries around the world continue to issue gold coins. Moreover, they are purchased not only for private collections. This way people can invest and store money in gold. In this sense, it is equivalent to gold bars. Most of these coins contain just a troy ounce of gold:

1. Australian gold bar (coin).

2. Austrian Philharmonic.

3. American golden buffalo.

5. Canadian golden maple leaf.

6. Chinese panda.

7. South African Krugerrand.

They all have the corresponding inscription. Moreover, of course, not all of them weigh exactly a troy ounce. They may also contain other metals. But a troy ounce of gold, silver or platinum must be in them. By the way, when buying precious metals online, be careful: in what units of measurement the weight is indicated. After all, an ounce of avoirdupois (it is now most often used in trade) is lighter than a troy ounce. As you can see, this seemingly outdated measure of weight has no intention of losing its position in this area to grams and kilograms. Perhaps this is because such a significant commodity as gold, for example, must also be measured in significant quantities. And it’s easier to produce ingots weighing 31 g than one-gram ones. In general, using the example of a coin, you can perfectly and easily answer the question: “An ounce is how many grams of gold?”

American system of measures

In the United States, pounds are still used to measure weight. And along with them, therefore, ounces. But again, not the same as everywhere else.

Avoirdupois or the so-called trading ounce. Used for selling goods by weight. In the metric system its value is 28.349 g.

An American fluid ounce is used for It is equal to approximately 29.537 ml. When indicating the volume on food packages, for convenience, it is equated to 30 milliliters. The British, by the way, have their own fluid ounce. Its volume is 28.413 ml.

European weights

Like many other things, the ounce was borrowed from the Roman Empire by almost all the peoples of Europe. And it was used everywhere until the introduction of the metric system in the eighteenth century. So, for example, in Germany it was considered one sixteenth of a trade pound. It was also used in medicine, where it was equal to 1/12 of the small pharmaceutical weight. It was used to measure weight when preparing medicines. The so-called apothecary ounce has survived to this day. Russia also adopted this system from the Germans. It weighed from 25 to 35 g, depending on the country where it was used. It is sometimes used today. Therefore, when buying any foreign medicine at a pharmacy, it is important to know how many grams are in 1 ounce. Neither you nor the doctor need an overdose.

In the Netherlands they also used the ounce. And even when in 1820 they switched to new system, retained their Dutch ounce to denote its weight of one hundred grams.

Other European countries were not far behind. In Italy there were 12 Roman ounces in the pound, and in Spain and Portugal there were 16 in the Castilian libre and artel respectively.

In England, there were the above-mentioned troy ounce, apothecary and commercial. They were fractions of pounds of the same name. But if troy and apothecary are 1/12, then a trade ounce was equal to one sixteenth.

And once again about coins. In Sicily, until 1860, the ounce was in use. It was equal to two and a half scudi, three ducats. And it was equivalent to one hundred and twenty-three Italian lire of modern times.

On other continents

In addition to America, where the ounce has taken root in the United States, it has also found its use in Africa. In the north of this continent it was called ukkiya. So, in Algeria it corresponded to 34.13 grams, in Tunisia - 31.68, in Egypt - 37.068, and in Tripoli 1 ounce weighed 30.02 g.

Finally

So we found out what 1 ounce is equal to. And that it appeared in Ancient Rome. There it was used to measure not only weight, it was more of a mathematical symbol. From there she set off to conquer the world. In many ways, the ounce anticipated the metric system in Europe. Only instead of one tenth, 1/12 appeared in Ancient Rome. This probably happened due to mythology. In people's lives back then, the number twelve was quite symbolic.

Then the ounce boldly walked across Europe, changing slightly depending on the country. Then it was replaced by more convenient kilograms and grams. But in the form of the troy and avoirdupois ounce, it has survived to this day. Probably because good things are hard to forget. After all, it became the first standard measure of weight in developing Europe. And largely thanks to her, the economies of the countries were able to develop correctly. It facilitated trade and became a measure of the most valuable commodity at that time - gold.

IN various sources, translated into Russian, you can often find mention of an ounce. It is a unit of mass, weight or volume used in most British traditional systems measurements. A typical ounce of avoirdupois (approximately 28.3 g) is 1/16 of the total weight of a pound.

This is a classic unit of measurement for the USA and Britain. It is mainly used in the United States of America for weighing packaged food products and portions, postal items, as well as to clarify the density of fabric and paper, boxing gloves, etc. Sometimes its mention can be found in the English-speaking sphere during other processes.

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Varieties

In addition to the regular one, several other ounces are currently in use. These can be measurements of different quantities. This unit is used not only to clarify weight. It is used in the following 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.
• 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 necessary to measure mass or volume.

Etymology of the name

Where does 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. Old English was first spoken as "insan" or "indsan" (a corrupted form of Latin). Then the word "ounce" began to be used in late medieval English.

The abbreviation oz came later from the related Italian word onza (now spelled oncia).

Why is there 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 different applications. Therefore, unequal mass standards were taken as a basis.

How much does an ounce weigh in different meanings? The international version of avoirdupois calls 28.349523125 437.5 grams. An international troy ounce is 31.1034768 480 grams, a French ounce is 30.59 grams. There are other numerical values. About what types of this unit of measurement are used in modern world, it’s worth finding out more.

International avoirdupois system (oz)

An international ounce is 28.349523125 grams, according to International agreement about the yard and pound from 1959. It was signed by the United States of America and the countries of the Commonwealth of Nations.

In the avoirdupois system, sixteen ounces equal a pound with the same name. It is defined as follows: 7000 grains. Therefore, one ounce totals 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 measurement in 2000, but is still widely used on an informal basis. It is also the traditional measure of portion sizes in British restaurants.

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Weights and Measures: What is an ounce and what is it equal to?

From the history of the use of an ounce

The concept of "ounce" comes from the Latin word "uncia", which literally means "a little thing, a little bit, a little bit." This designates several units of measurement of mass, it is also the definition for a couple of measures of liquid volume, is used as a unit of measurement of force, and even as the name of several monetary units (including gold and silver).

This term was used back in ancient Rome. There, 1 denoted 1/12 of a libra, an ancient Roman measure of weight equal to 327.45 g (or 0.7996 Russian pounds). Libra was most often used to indicate how much precious metals, particularly gold, weigh. In this case, an ounce, indicated by the sign “I”, a dot ( ) or a horizontal line (-), was equal to 28.34 g (0.0666 Russian pounds) and was divided into 2 semuntia (Σ, Є, £), 4 sicilicus (Ɔ ), 6 sextuli (Ƨ), 24 scrupules (E) and 144 siliqus.

This measurement system was applied not only to metals. The Romans used it for a number of other various purposes. For example, to indicate the size of an inheritance, a measure of capacity, length (where 1 ounce was equal to 0.0246 m) and surface area (where 1 ounce was equal to 209.91 m²).

Later, such a measurement system was borrowed from the Romans by almost all the peoples of medieval Europe and, before the introduction of the metric system of measures, it was one of the main and most widespread.

In Italy, an ounce was equal to 1/12 of a pound, in Portugal and Spain 1/16 of a trade pound. In Sicily (until 1865) this was the name of a coin unit identical to 2½ scudi (a silver and gold coin in Italy, equal to 5 francs) or 3 ducats (the name for silver (since 1140) and then (since 1284) gold coins, first appeared in Italy, and later produced in a number of other European countries).

In Latin America and Spain, the gold coin doubloon was called this way. In China - tael (or liang - a measure of weight and monetary unit in Southeast Asia).

The place of the ounce in the modern world

Today, this measure is widely used in countries where weight is traditionally measured in pounds, called the troy ounce.

This term comes from the name of the French city of Troyes. It was there that the largest trade and financial center in all of Europe was located in the Middle Ages.

It weighs 31.1034768 g and is designated by the abbreviation - toz or ozt.

From 1824 to 1858, the troy pound, consisting of 12 troy ounces, was the main unit of weight in Great Britain. However, in other states the weight of 1 could be different. The British troy ounce weight is widely used in precious metals trading.

There are several international designations for this unit. For gold – XAU, silver – XAG, platinum – XPT and palladium – XPD. The weight of coins during investment operations is quite often calculated and indicated within the framework of this system.

At the same time, in the USA and some other countries of the world, the fundamental unit of weight is the avoirdupois pound, which consists not of 12 (unlike the troy), but of 16 ounces. This unit is denoted by the abbreviation oz or oz at. Its weight is approximately 28.35 g, namely 28.349 523 125 g.

Now the troy measure is widely used not only in the banking and jewelry business, used for weighing precious metals (platinum, palladium, gold and silver), but also in some other areas, for example, in cosmetology and pharmacy, to measure the weight of especially valuable ingredients, substances and drugs.

It is worth noting that for a long time the pharmacy business had its own individual system for measuring and determining the measure of scales, which was used for weighing medicinal substances and was used exclusively in this field of activity. This is the so-called pharmaceutical or medical weight.

Its standard varied in different countries Oh. In the pharmacy system, as in the mass measurement system noble metals, the same numeral units were used. However, their quantity in one pound in these systems could vary, and the weight could fluctuate from 25 to 35 g. Due to the lack of a clear definition of how many grams are contained in an ounce, the entire trading process was very difficult and a huge number of contradictions were created.

1 pharmaceutical ounce is equal to 29.86 g. Currently, the term is an archaism or an outdated concept and is not widely used.

In addition to the types listed above, there is also a fluid ounce, denoted by the abbreviation fl oz. It is used to measure the volume of liquid. There are two types of fluid ounce: English and American. The first, according to English tradition, is equal to 1/20 of a pint or 28,413,063 ml (28.4 g). The second (American) is 1/16 of a pint or 29.573 531 ml (29.57 g). Currently in the United States, for food products, the weight of one fluid ounce is equivalent to 30 ml.

These are the main similarities and differences in determining the scale measure based on the use of these systems.

The ounce, as a unit of measurement, is quite rare in Russia and is familiar to a rather narrow circle of people, although the unit of measurement of weight and volume is the ounce (on Latin uncia, translated as one twelfth in ancient Rome) was used in many countries before they adopted the metric system. Currently, an ounce is the name of a measure of weight in a number of units of measurement and 1 ounce is 437.5 grains or 28.349523 grams in the metric weight system. Our online script allows you to convert units of weight in ounces into grams or convert back weight in grams into ounces. Unfortunately, the free script cannot be downloaded, but we will always be glad to see you on our website. Continuing the conversation about the unit of measurement ounce, I would like to draw attention to the fact that in English and Russian systems of measurement in ounces, measures of volume of liquid bodies are also measured and the ounce is used as a unit of measurement of force. In the English system of measures:
a unit of weight of 1 ounce is equal to 16 drachms or 437.5 grains or 28.35 grams in the metric system,
in troy measure when measuring precious stones and metals, 1 ounce is equal to 8 drachms or 31.1035 grams of the metric system, the same value in the apothecary weight system,
when measuring volume, 1 ounce is equal to 29.57 milliliters.
In Holland, after the introduction of the metric system in the country, 1 ounce (ons) is equal to 100 grams of weight. Also, the volume of liquid is measured in ounces; in America, 1 ounce is equal to 29.57 cubic centimeters, and in England 28.41 cubic centimeters. In the Middle Ages, the ounce (uncia) was used as a Roman monetary unit and consisted of 20 denarii. In conclusion, I would like to remind you once again that our free program converts the unit of weight ounce (ounces) into grams and back. Oz is a symbol and abbreviation of the word ounces (ounce).

weight unit calculator

To convert weight units between grams and ounces, you need to enter the number you need in the gram or ounce field and click the desired direction arrow for converting the weight unit.

When buying or selling precious metals, a unit of measurement that is unfamiliar to many is the ounce. It is much simpler and clearer for us, who are accustomed to using the metric system in everyday life, to measure weight in grams. However, in international practice, this is the standard for determining the value of precious metals. The answer to the question: 1 ounce, how many grams, is not as simple as it might seem at first glance.

Translation problems

Translation problems arise due to the presence of different names depending on the field of use and the country where it is used. Adding to the confusion is the fact that some countries, such as the United States, still do not use the metric system, preferring the traditional one.

• Avoirdupois (oz or oz at) – 28.35 g, used by the USA as a measure of weight.
• Fluid ounce (fl oz) – 29.573 531 ml, used to determine the volume of liquid.
• Troy ounce (toz or ozt) – 31.1034768 g, this value is used throughout the world to measure the weight of precious metals.

Troy ounce

The troy ounce is a generally accepted measure for precious metals.

Simplified meaning for translation: 1 ozt – 31.1035 grams.

It should be noted that in international trade this unit is used only to determine the mass of pure metals of the highest standard.

On world currency markets, the XAU index is used to indicate the rate of 999.9 gold. Mints in different countries mint coins weighing 31.1 g. Many, both old and modern money made of gold and silver, have this denomination.

origin of name

Uncia– Latin term means 1/12 part. This concept came to us from Ancient Rome, however, the troy ounce appeared as a measure of weight much later. This name has nothing to do with ancient Troy and comes from the name of the French city Troyes(Troyes), Champagne province.

In the Middle Ages, famous champagne fairs were held here, where traders from different countries gathered. The presence of various measures led to the need to use some kind of unifying value.

This unit became the troy pound and its 1/12th part - the troy ounce. In the 19th century, Great Britain became the center of world trade. Which inherited and finally consolidated the use of this measure as the main one in international trade in precious metals.

Using recalculation in practice

The need to convert ounces to grams arises, in most cases, when trying to calculate silver per gram in national currency, for example in rubles, today. The calculation algorithm is quite complex and requires knowledge not only of the cost of the metal in dollars per ounce, but also of the ruble/dollar exchange rate. It looks like this:

the cost of gold (USD/ozt) divided by 31.1035 and multiplied by the exchange rate USD/RUB, we get the price of gold in RUB/g.

There is a calculator for calculating the cost of gold, which makes calculations based on data from the Central Bank, which makes it much easier and faster to get the desired result.

You can find on the Internet a large number of unit converters, when using such programs to convert the weight of precious metals, it is important to remember that you need a troy ounce, and not some other unit.