Convert Ounce (oz) to Kiloton (Metric) (kt) instantly.
About these units
Ounce (oz)
The ounce is a unit equal to 1/16 of a pound, or approximately 28.3495 grams, with roots in ancient Roman "uncia"—one-twelfth of a pound. The ounce is used for measuring small masses in cooking, postal services, gemstones (troy ounces), and various consumer goods. Despite not being part of the metric system, the ounce remains a staple in US everyday life, from food packaging to hardware components. Its small size gives it a practical niche where grams might feel too unfamiliar for some audiences. Multiple ounce variants exist historically—avoirdupois, troy, apothecary—but the avoirdupois ounce is now the standard in general commerce. Its endurance reflects the cultural weight of imperial units and the long history of Western measurement systems.
Kiloton (Metric) (kt)
A kiloton, equal to 1,000 metric tons, is used in large-scale industrial, geological, and agricultural contexts. However, the term is better known for expressing explosive yields, particularly of nuclear weapons. Scientists estimate the energy release of explosions by comparing them to the detonation of 1,000 tons of TNT. For example, the Hiroshima bomb had a yield of about 15 kilotons. Outside military contexts, kilotons appear in discussions of carbon emissions, waste production, and global resource extraction. They provide a manageable scale for describing quantities too large for tons but not yet at the megaton level.