The hundredweight (abbreviation: cwt), formerly also known as the centum weight or quintal, is a British imperial and United States customary unit of weight or mass. Its value differs between the United States customary and British imperial systems. The two values are distinguished in American English as the "short" and "long" hundredweight and in British English as the "cental" and the "imperial hundredweight".
The United States and Canada came to use the term "hundredweight" to refer to a unit of 100 pounds (45.36 kg). This measure was specifically banned from British use—upon risk of being sued for fraud—by the Weights and Measures Act 1824, but in 1879 the measure was legalised under the name "cental" in response to legislative pressure from British merchants importing wheat and tobacco from the United States into the United Kingdom.[3]
UseEdit
A weight restriction sign on Alderney using hundredweight
A few decades ago,[timeframe?] commodities weighed in terms of long hundredweight included cattle, cattle fodder, fertilizers, coal, some industrial chemicals, other industrial materials, and so on. However, since increasing metrication in most English-speaking countries, it is now less used. Church bell ringers use the unit commonly,[6] although church bell manufacturers are increasingly moving over to the metric system.[7]
Older blacksmiths' anvils are often stamped with a three-digit number indicating their total weight in hundredweight, quarter-hundredweight (28 lb, abbreviated qr), and pounds. Thus, an anvil stamped "1.1.8" will weigh 148 lb (112 lb + 28 lb + 8 lb).[8]
In Europe outside British Isles, a centum or quintal was never defined in terms of British units. Instead, it was based on the kilogramme or former customary units. It is usually abbreviated q. It was 50 kg (110 lb) in Germany, 48.95 kg (108 lb) in France, 56 kg (123 lb) in Austria, etc. The unit was phased out or metricized after the introduction of the metric system in the 1790s, being occasionally retained in informal use up to the mid-20th century.[11]
^"Special Publication 811 (Guide to the SI)". NIST. 3 December 2019. Retrieved 15 February 2020.
^Text of the UK Units of Measurement Regulations 1995 as originally enacted or made within the United Kingdom, from legislation.gov.uk. , which reiterates for hundredweight the Text of the Weights and Measures Act 1985 as in force today (including any amendments) within the United Kingdom, from legislation.gov.uk. .
^Nicholson, Edward (1912). "Chapter VII". Men and measures: a history of weights and measures, ancient and modern.
^Murphy, William J. . Archived from the original on 25 May 2007.
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The hundredweight abbreviation cwt formerly also known as the centum weight or quintal is a British imperial and United States customary unit of weight or mass Its value differs between the United States customary and British imperial systems The two values are distinguished in American English as the short and long hundredweight and in British English as the cental and the imperial hundredweight The short hundredweight or cental of 100 pounds 45 36 kg is defined in the United States customary system 1 The long hundredweight or imperial of 8 stone or 112 pounds 50 80 kg is defined in the British imperial system 2 hundredweightUnit systemBritish imperialUnited States customaryUnit ofmassSymbolcwtHundredweight cwt used in a road sign in Ilkley Yorkshire Under both conventions there are 20 hundredweight in a ton producing a short ton of 2 000 pounds and a long ton of 2 240 pounds Contents 1 History 2 Use 3 Europe 4 See also 5 ReferencesHistory EditThe hundredweight has had many values In England around 1 300 different hundreds centum in Medieval Latin were defined The Weights and Measures Act 1835 formally established the present imperial hundredweight of 112 pounds 50 80 kg The United States and Canada came to use the term hundredweight to refer to a unit of 100 pounds 45 36 kg This measure was specifically banned from British use upon risk of being sued for fraud by the Weights and Measures Act 1824 but in 1879 the measure was legalised under the name cental in response to legislative pressure from British merchants importing wheat and tobacco from the United States into the United Kingdom 3 Use Edit A weight restriction sign on Alderney using hundredweightThe short hundredweight is commonly used as a measurement in the United States in the sale of livestock and some cereal grains 4 and oilseeds paper and concrete additives and on some commodities in futures exchanges 5 A few decades ago timeframe commodities weighed in terms of long hundredweight included cattle cattle fodder fertilizers coal some industrial chemicals other industrial materials and so on However since increasing metrication in most English speaking countries it is now less used Church bell ringers use the unit commonly 6 although church bell manufacturers are increasingly moving over to the metric system 7 Older blacksmiths anvils are often stamped with a three digit number indicating their total weight in hundredweight quarter hundredweight 28 lb abbreviated qr and pounds Thus an anvil stamped 1 1 8 will weigh 148 lb 112 lb 28 lb 8 lb 8 The long hundredweight is used as a measurement of vehicle weight in the Bailiwick of Guernsey It was also previously used to indicate the maximum recommended carrying load of vans and trucks such as the Ford Thames 5 and 7 cwt vans 9 and the 8 15 30 and 60 cwt Canadian Military Pattern trucks 10 Europe EditIn Europe outside British Isles a centum or quintal was never defined in terms of British units Instead it was based on the kilogramme or former customary units It is usually abbreviated q It was 50 kg 110 lb in Germany 48 95 kg 108 lb in France 56 kg 123 lb in Austria etc The unit was phased out or metricized after the introduction of the metric system in the 1790s being occasionally retained in informal use up to the mid 20th century 11 See also EditAvoirdupois system The short and long hundred of 100 and 120 respectively Hundred the medieval unit of measure Glossary of British ordnance terms cwtReferences Edit Special Publication 811 Guide to the SI NIST 3 December 2019 Retrieved 15 February 2020 Text of the UK Units of Measurement Regulations 1995 as originally enacted or made within the United Kingdom from legislation gov uk which reiterates for hundredweight the Text of the Weights and Measures Act 1985 as in force today including any amendments within the United Kingdom from legislation gov uk Nicholson Edward 1912 Chapter VII Men and measures a history of weights and measures ancient and modern Murphy William J Tables for Weights and Measurement Crops University of Missouri Extension Archived from the original on 25 May 2007 Rough Rice Futures Contract specifications Agricultural products CME Group Retrieved 21 December 2010 Scope Conventions Abbreviations etc Dove s Guide for Church Bell Ringers Retrieved 21 December 2010 Turret Bells Whitechapel Bell Foundry Limited Retrieved 21 December 2010 dead link Anvils 6 Marked Weight of Anvils Getting Started in Blacksmithing Retrieved 15 December 2014 New Thames 5 amp 7 cwt Vans Archived from the original on 2016 11 14 Retrieved 2 June 2021 The CMP 15 cwt truck Centa Croatian Encyclopedia in Croatian Retrieved 8 February 2021 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Hundredweight amp oldid 1172102518, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
