Convert Pound (lb) to Ounce (oz) instantly.
About these units
Pound (lb)
The pound is a traditional unit of mass widely used in the United States and, to a lesser extent, in the United Kingdom. Defined as exactly 0.45359237 kilograms, the pound evolved from medieval English systems that themselves descended from Roman and Carolingian traditions. The pound is central to commerce, engineering, food measurement, and body weight scales in the US. Its widespread cultural presence makes it deeply familiar even in contexts where metric units dominate. Because the pound is part of a non-decimal system, subdivisions such as ounces (1/16 pound) introduce complexity, yet this structure persists due to tradition and embedded industrial standards. In engineering, the pound often appears alongside pound-force, making careful distinction between mass and force essential.
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.