A tonne, also known as a metric ton, is a unit of mass equal to 1,000 kilograms or approximately 2,204.62 pounds. It's the standard ton used in most countries that follow the metric system, including Europe, Asia, Australia, and many parts of Africa. Unlike the US ton (short ton, 2,000 lbs) or the UK imperial ton (long ton, 2,240 lbs), the tonne is based on powers of ten, making it more consistent with the metric system. It's used in industries where large-scale weight measurement is common, such as shipping, agriculture, and waste management.
The tonne originated in France in the 18th century as part of the adoption of the metric system. The word comes from the French word "tonneau," which referred to a large cask used for transporting wine or oil.
It became widely accepted across Europe and eventually by the International System of Units (SI). Today, it's the standard unit for mass in global trade, environmental reporting, and scientific documentation.
How is the Tonne Used: The tonne is used to measure very large weights where smaller units like kilograms or pounds would be impractical. You'll find it commonly used in:
A microgram (mcg) is a metric unit of mass equal to one-millionth of a gram. It’s one of the smallest standard units of mass, commonly used in medical, nutritional, and scientific settings where extremely small quantities matter.
The term comes from the Greek word mikros meaning “small” and “gram,” the base metric unit for mass. Its official SI symbol is µg. However, in medical practice especially in the U.S. mcg is used to prevent confusion with mg (milligram), which is 1,000 times larger.
How Is Microgram Used?
1 t = 999999999999.999878 µg
Let’s say you want to convert 100 t to µg.
Using the formula:
100 × 999999999999.999878 = 99999999999999.984 µg
So, 100 t is approximately 99999999999999.984 µg.
| Tonne (t) | Microgram (µg) |
|---|---|
| 1 t | 1000000000000 µg |
| 2 t | 2000000000000 µg |
| 3 t | 3000000000000 µg |
| 4 t | 4000000000000 µg |
| 5 t | 4999999999999.999 µg |
| 6 t | 5999999999999.999 µg |
| 7 t | 6999999999999.999 µg |
| 8 t | 7999999999999.999 µg |
| 9 t | 8999999999999.998 µg |
| 10 t | 9999999999999.998 µg |
| 11 t | 10999999999999.998 µg |
| 12 t | 11999999999999.998 µg |
| 13 t | 12999999999999.998 µg |
| 14 t | 13999999999999.998 µg |
| 15 t | 14999999999999.998 µg |