Pound and Kilogram

Pound and Kilogram are two different units of weight. The pound is used to measure weight in most countries while Kilogram is used worldwide. The difference between these two units depends on the country of origin and other factors. The difference between pound and kilogram involves how many grams one unit weighs as well as the direction of measurement using a linear rather than a roundabout method. This article will briefly explain the key differences between Pound and Kilogram.

What is Pound?

A pound is a unit of measurement that was derived from the Roman system. This system was made using a balance scale that weighed a pound of silver against gold which weighed one-tenth of its weight. In this case, one pound can be exactly 454 grams which is almost exactly one kilogram at present. However, due to the loss in weight of the Roman coins caused by usage, it became lighter than its original value in France and other countries that used it as their legal tender. The term ‘pound’ is used in everyday speech to measure avoirdupois weight which denotes the grains and troy ounces used to measure precious metals like gold and silver.

The pound is used in many countries like the US, Britain, and Canada. The pound is also known to have some variation in different places around the world. For instance, weighing scales in the US are generally calibrated using pounds while those found in Britain are calibrated using kilograms. However, when you weigh something, it does not matter what units you use for measurement because mass and weight are the same things except for a slight difference. Thus if you measure something in pounds, then its mass will be measured according to kilograms.

What are Kilograms?

A kilogram is a unit of weight that is used worldwide. It originated from the French Revolution and was set to equal one milligram which is now equal to 1,000 grams. The kilogram is measured using a two-way balance where the object being weighed will be balanced by a force (equal to one newton) exerted upward by the same amount of gravity acting downward on the object.

The advantage of this method of measurement is that it indicates how much force or weight was put on something rather than just measuring its mass or volume. One kilogram can be precisely defined in terms of other units that have been accepted internationally like joules, newton, and amperes.

Use of Kilograms in Different Countries

Different countries use kilograms in different ways. In the US, it is widely used for mass measurement of materials in different industries such as car manufacturing and petrochemical applications. However, when it comes to a weight measurement, people sometimes refer to pounds along with kilograms which is a non-scientific way of measuring weight that can be used sometimes on purpose but mostly due to a lack of knowledge on how to measure things in scientific terms. For example, one pound equals 454 grams which includes 0.4545 kilogram which is a very minor difference.

Pound and Kilograms: Differences

There are many ways to measure weight. However, most of these ways do not come close to the accuracy of scientifically measuring weight by the kilogram as compared to units such as pounds. To measure weight scientifically and uniformly, one needs to weigh an object using a kilogram using a unit called metric which uses metre measurements instead of pounds for measurement. Later on, when weighing things, it is necessary to pre-weigh an object so that it can be placed on a scale for accurate measurements. Some other key differences are:

1. The measure and size of the pound unit are not uniform- it varies from country to country.
2. The scientific method used to measure weight in units such as kilograms is called Avoirdupois.
3. There are many ways of measuring mass. One of them is called Troy which uses a unit system that has similarities with Avoirdupois but is not restricted by it.
4. Depending on how the object being weighed is handled, the weights can be affected. For instance, measuring the weight of an object will change if a magnet or vice versa for an object that does not have any magnetic properties.
5. Weight is measured using both the British and metric units.
6. The use of the pound, although in some countries it is used to measure weight, it is mostly used to measure mass while kilograms are mostly used to measure weight.

Conclusion

Pound and kilogram are two different units of weight measurement that can be confusing to those who are not familiar with them. However, when you study them more and how they work, it becomes easy for you to understand their differences. This article highlights the differences between Pound and Kilogram, in brief, using a few examples which will give you an insight into how one unit differs from another when measuring something.