Need math help
October 12, 2006 4:18 PM Subscribe
Is there a formula for converting cubic meters to tons?
I missed this lesson in math class way back when and now I need to do these conversions for a project at work.
d = density in tons per cubic meter
v = volume in cubic meters
w = weight in tons
w = v*d
posted by EndsOfInvention at 4:23 PM on October 12, 2006
v = volume in cubic meters
w = weight in tons
w = v*d
posted by EndsOfInvention at 4:23 PM on October 12, 2006
Density of water is 1 metric ton per cubic meter. Density of Aluminum is 2.7 metric tons per cubic meter. Iron is 7.86 metric tons per cubic meter. Gold is 19.3 metric tons per cubic meter.
And hydrogen gas is 0.089 metric tons per cubic meter.
Gold is 216 times as dense as hydrogen. So it really does matter what that cubic meter contains.
posted by Steven C. Den Beste at 4:33 PM on October 12, 2006
And hydrogen gas is 0.089 metric tons per cubic meter.
Gold is 216 times as dense as hydrogen. So it really does matter what that cubic meter contains.
posted by Steven C. Den Beste at 4:33 PM on October 12, 2006
That's for a metric ton, or tonne. An imperial ton, or long ton, is ~1016kg. A short ton, or net ton - the common useage in the US - is ~907kg.
Amusingly, a long ton and a short ton are 20 hundredweight. In the UK, a hundredweight is 112 pounds. In the US, a hundredweight is 100 pounds.
posted by Pinback at 4:39 PM on October 12, 2006
Amusingly, a long ton and a short ton are 20 hundredweight. In the UK, a hundredweight is 112 pounds. In the US, a hundredweight is 100 pounds.
posted by Pinback at 4:39 PM on October 12, 2006
EndsofInvention's formula works regardless of how you define "ton" or "cubic meter"
posted by vacapinta at 5:04 PM on October 12, 2006
posted by vacapinta at 5:04 PM on October 12, 2006
You already have the formula, but for everyday calculations, my favorite tool is Google Calculator.
Typing density of Cesium into search box gives you: 1.93 gram per cubic centimeter.
Typing 2.5 cubic meter * 1.93 grams per cubic centimeter to metric tons gives: ((2.5 (cubic meter)) * 1.93 grams) per (cubic centimeter) = 4.82500 metric tons
Hope this helps.
posted by Dataphage at 5:10 PM on October 12, 2006 [1 favorite]
Typing density of Cesium into search box gives you: 1.93 gram per cubic centimeter.
Typing 2.5 cubic meter * 1.93 grams per cubic centimeter to metric tons gives: ((2.5 (cubic meter)) * 1.93 grams) per (cubic centimeter) = 4.82500 metric tons
Hope this helps.
posted by Dataphage at 5:10 PM on October 12, 2006 [1 favorite]
I love Google as a calculator. But I really love the Frink Server Pages for conversions.
posted by tayknight at 5:34 PM on October 12, 2006
posted by tayknight at 5:34 PM on October 12, 2006
And hydrogen gas is 0.089 metric tons per cubic meter. Gold is 216 times as dense as hydrogen.
You're off by 3 orders of magnitude. The density of hydrogen at STP is 0.089 kg per cubic meter, or 0.000089 metric tons per cubic meter, making Gold 216,000 times as dense.
posted by yarmond at 6:03 PM on October 12, 2006
You're off by 3 orders of magnitude. The density of hydrogen at STP is 0.089 kg per cubic meter, or 0.000089 metric tons per cubic meter, making Gold 216,000 times as dense.
posted by yarmond at 6:03 PM on October 12, 2006
You're right. (That did sound a little low.)
Density expressed as grams per cubic centimeter, or a kilograms per liter, or as metric tons per cubic meter are all the same value.
posted by Steven C. Den Beste at 6:05 PM on October 12, 2006
Density expressed as grams per cubic centimeter, or a kilograms per liter, or as metric tons per cubic meter are all the same value.
posted by Steven C. Den Beste at 6:05 PM on October 12, 2006
For water or mostly-water liquid, always remember:
"A pint's a pound the world around."
Amusingly, that only works in the US.
posted by TheOnlyCoolTim at 7:27 PM on October 12, 2006
"A pint's a pound the world around."
Amusingly, that only works in the US.
posted by TheOnlyCoolTim at 7:27 PM on October 12, 2006
Are you in the marine transport industry? There are units called "tons" that are used to describe ship volume measurements. Maybe you mean one of these?
Apart from that, though, everybody else is right -- you need to know density to convert tons of mass/weight to volume (as well as which ton/tonne you're talking about!)
posted by Opposite George at 7:47 PM on October 12, 2006 [1 favorite]
Apart from that, though, everybody else is right -- you need to know density to convert tons of mass/weight to volume (as well as which ton/tonne you're talking about!)
posted by Opposite George at 7:47 PM on October 12, 2006 [1 favorite]
My current favorite conversion site, good for all kinds of conversions: Conversion tables/measurement conversion online.
It's very helpful for figuring distances and jewel sizes (for when they tell me it's 4mmx7mm and I don't have a ruler handy.) It has most standard conversion types, too.
posted by Meep! Eek! at 8:25 PM on October 12, 2006
It's very helpful for figuring distances and jewel sizes (for when they tell me it's 4mmx7mm and I don't have a ruler handy.) It has most standard conversion types, too.
posted by Meep! Eek! at 8:25 PM on October 12, 2006
Response by poster: Thanks everyone.
To answer Opposite George's question, no, I'm not in the marine transport industry.
I'm trying to analyze what impacts construction of a new road would have on landfills. Specifically, if there is an imbalance in earthwork during construction (i.e., cut/fill), and the excess is deposited in a landfill, it could reduce capacity of a landfill and ultimately, its life span. I wanted some hard number in addition to my argument that the landfill just shuts down when it reaches daily, permitted capacity.
posted by socrateaser at 7:03 AM on October 13, 2006
To answer Opposite George's question, no, I'm not in the marine transport industry.
I'm trying to analyze what impacts construction of a new road would have on landfills. Specifically, if there is an imbalance in earthwork during construction (i.e., cut/fill), and the excess is deposited in a landfill, it could reduce capacity of a landfill and ultimately, its life span. I wanted some hard number in addition to my argument that the landfill just shuts down when it reaches daily, permitted capacity.
posted by socrateaser at 7:03 AM on October 13, 2006
TheOnlyCoolTim writes "For water or mostly-water liquid, always remember:
"'A pint's a pound the world around.'
"Amusingly, that only works in the US."
And not even there. 1 US Gallon of water is 8 and 1/3 pounds. Why that odd amount? so that 12 gallons will equal one 100-weight. Therefore one pint is actually 1 pound, 2/3 ounce.
posted by Araucaria at 1:55 PM on October 13, 2006
"'A pint's a pound the world around.'
"Amusingly, that only works in the US."
And not even there. 1 US Gallon of water is 8 and 1/3 pounds. Why that odd amount? so that 12 gallons will equal one 100-weight. Therefore one pint is actually 1 pound, 2/3 ounce.
posted by Araucaria at 1:55 PM on October 13, 2006
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by nebulawindphone at 4:21 PM on October 12, 2006