Pounds to Kg Conversion

History of the Pound

The pound, as a unit of weight or mass, has had a long and branching history. The idea of any unit of measurement is to be able to accurately determine the characteristics of the item being measured. While the refinement of these units has largely been due to scientific use the original purpose of units of weight like the pound were to regulate merchants so that a fair measurement system was in place for buying and selling.

Origin of the name
The abbreviation for the pound, lb, seems odd due to the fact that neither letter actually appears in the word. The abbreviation actually comes from the Latin term libra which was the Roman standard unit of measurement for mass. The name pound comes from the German adaptation of the Latin phrase libra pondo which translates to "a pound weight"

Present day ses
While the metric system has largely taken over as the standard measurement system in the world there are two main countries where the pound is used, The United States and Great Britain. In 1824, the British Parliament defined the Imperial system which regulated the common measurements used by British Empire at the time. In regards to weight, three different definitions of the pound were used: Troy, Avoirdupois , and Apothecaries. Of the three, only the Avoirdupois pound is still used in Great Britain. Since Great Britain partially converted to the metric system, the pound unit is largely used as a fraction of the stone mass measurement.



When the United States separated from the British Empire, they took with them the units of measurements that they had used under British rule. Since they were not part of the British Empire when the 1824 regulation took place, the measurement system eventually became the United States customary units system. The standard mass of the pound changed very little between the two systems. The United States still uses this system today.

The Metric System
Since the global scientific community strives for accurate measurements, the ratio of pounds to kg is defined to a very precise number. The current pounds to kg ratio, establish in 1894 is 2.20462234 pounds per kilogram.

The story of the pound may come to a close in the future as we move towards a global standard. With the United States being the only major power to still use the measurement in daily life, it may only be a matter of time until global compliance is achieved. However, a country as large as the United States would be very hesitant to rework the entire measurement system due to the confusion and cost of transition. For the time being the libra pondo is safe.

History of the Kilogram

The kilogram is one of the cornerstones of the International System of Units. The kilogram is used to represent mass in everything from merchant goods to physics equations so it is important for an exact definition to be in place. The mass of one kilogram is equal to the International Prototype Kilogram which was created in 1879. In an attempt to provide some sense of universal measurements between both solid and liquid items, the mass of one kilogram was designed to roughly equal one liter of water. As is the case with all measurements systems, the definitions have gotten more refined as advances in science has allowed for more accurate measurements to be taken. While the kilogram was exactly equal to the International Prototype Kilogram at its inception, it is now recognized as being slightly off by a the smallest of margins. However, since the kilogram is relied upon heavily for scientific equations, the defined weight cannot change.

Origin of the name
The gram preceded the kilogram so the etymology of the word kilogram comes as little surprise. One thousand grams make up one kilogram. The word kilogram originates from the French term kilogramme, which itself comes from a Greek term meaning "thousand small weights".

Weight conversion
The International System of Units is the universal system of measurements worldwide. While this does not mean that every country needs to use the system, it does mean the system is recognized by everyone as being the official scientific measurement system. As such, most other measurement systems are defined against the corresponding metric measurement. The second most common unit of mass is the pound which is used in both the United Kingdom and the United States. The weight conversion between the pound and the kilogram is approximately 2.205 kilograms per pound.

Future of the kilogram
The kilogram is the last of the International System of Units to be defined by an artifact. An artifact means that there is an actual weight that is protected, stored, and monitored. When the system was created in the 19th century, these physical artifacts were needed. Over time, the scientific community has replaced all but the kilogram with fundamental physical constants. The International Committee for Weights and Measures will meet in 2014 to discuss moving the kilogram away from its artifact and towards a repeatable fundamental physical constant. This movement continues the long tradition of the metric system towards a universally agreed upon measurement of all things.