Convert Ton (Assay) (US) (AT (US)) to Femtogram (fg) instantly.
About these units
Ton (Assay) (US) (AT (US))
The US assay ton is a specialized unit used in mining and metallurgy for evaluating ore grades. It is defined as 29.166⅔ grams, a very small mass chosen to simplify calculations relating assay results to tons of ore. The idea is that if an assay ton of sample yields 1 milligram of precious metal, then one actual ton of ore contains 1 ounce of that metal. This scaling makes laboratory results directly translatable to mining yields. While obsolete in modern industrial practice, where metric units dominate, the assay ton remains important in historical mining records and for researchers studying early industrial metallurgy.
Femtogram (fg)
A femtogram is 10⁻¹⁵ grams, an extraordinarily small unit used primarily in molecular biology, analytical chemistry, and particle science. At this scale, masses correspond to small clusters of molecules, fragments of genetic material, or trace contaminants in environmental samples. In genomics, for example, the femtogram level may represent the mass of DNA extracted from just a few cells, pushing the limits of current sequencing technologies. Advanced mass spectrometers and nanoscale resonators can detect femtogram-level differences, revealing chemical changes invisible at larger scales. The femtogram symbolizes the reach of modern science into realms once thought beyond measurement. As techniques continue to improve, femtogram-level precision will become increasingly common in nanotechnology and biophysics.