What actually weighs a tonne?
A tonne is quoted constantly and pictured rarely. Enter a mass and see which familiar objects it matches.
Almost exactly a cubic metre of water
1 t is heavier than 3 of the 8 references on this page.
Reference figures are measurements and are rounded; the unit conversion behind them is exact.
| Reference | Size | Yours ÷ theirs | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| grand piano | 0.48 t | 2.08× | |
| horse | 0.5 t | 2× | |
| cow | 0.72 t | 1.39× | |
| cubic metre of water | 1 t | 1× | |
| small car | 1.2 t | 0.833× | |
| hippopotamus | 1.5 t | 0.667× | |
| London taxi | 1.8 t | 0.556× | |
| cubic metre of concrete | 2.4 t | 0.417× |
Worth knowing
- A cubic metre of water weighs exactly one tonne, which is where the unit came from.
- A metric tonne is 1 000 kg, a US short ton is 907 kg and a UK long ton is 1 016 kg. All three are called "a ton" in speech.
Frequently asked
What is the difference between a ton and a tonne?
A tonne is metric — 1 000 kg. A short ton is 2 000 lb (907.18 kg) and is what "ton" means in the United States. A long ton is 2 240 lb (1 016 kg), still used in UK shipping.
What household object weighs a tonne?
Nothing in a house does. The nearest everyday things are a small car, two grand pianos, or a cubic metre of water — a cube a bit over a metre on each side.