Convert Ton (Assay) (US) (AT (US)) to Planck Mass (mₕ) 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.
Planck Mass (mₕ)
The Planck mass, approximately 2.176434 × 10⁻⁸ kilograms, occupies a unique position in theoretical physics. Unlike particle masses, it is derived entirely from fundamental constants—Planck's constant, Newton's gravitational constant, and the speed of light. The Planck mass represents a mass scale where quantum mechanical and gravitational effects become comparable. Although enormous relative to subatomic particles (roughly the mass of a dust grain), it is considered "natural" in that it emerges from pure physics rather than empirical observation. In theoretical studies of black holes, quantum gravity, string theory, and early-universe cosmology, the Planck mass marks a boundary beyond which existing models require unification. It is a conceptual rather than practical unit, yet it provides a profound insight into the structure of physical law.