Convert UK Ton (Long) (ton (UK)) to Kiloton (Metric) (kt) instantly.
About these units
UK Ton (Long) (ton (UK))
The British long ton equals 2,240 pounds (1,016.0469088 kilograms). Historically used throughout the British Empire, it appears frequently in naval records, early engineering documents, and historical trade ledgers. The long ton's relation to the imperial hundredweight (112 pounds × 20) makes sense within the structure of older English measurement systems. Although replaced by metric tons in the UK, it persists in maritime contexts and in interpreting historical documents. Its presence captures the complexity of pre-metric trade and the need for careful interpretation when comparing international tonnage 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.