# Hundredweights (US) to Hundredweights (UK) (cwt to cwt) Source: https://www.unitconvertercalculator.com/weight/short-hundredweights-to-long-hundredweights/ **1 cwt = 0.89285714285714 cwt** One short hundredweight equals approximately 0.8929 long hundredweights, or equivalently, one long hundredweight equals about 1.12 short hundredweights. The difference is straightforward: the American short hundredweight is 100 pounds while the British long hundredweight is 112 pounds, a 12-pound gap that has complicated transatlantic commodity trade for centuries. ## Formula Apply the conversion factor ## Conversion Table | Hundredweights (US) (cwt) | Hundredweights (UK) (cwt) | |---|---| | 0.5 cwt | 0.44642857142857 cwt | | 1 cwt | 0.89285714285714 cwt | | 2 cwt | 1.7857142857143 cwt | | 5 cwt | 4.4642857142857 cwt | | 10 cwt | 8.9285714285714 cwt | | 20 cwt | 17.857142857143 cwt | | 25 cwt | 22.321428571429 cwt | | 50 cwt | 44.642857142857 cwt | | 100 cwt | 89.285714285714 cwt | | 200 cwt | 178.57142857143 cwt | | 500 cwt | 446.42857142857 cwt | | 1000 cwt | 892.85714285714 cwt | ## Units ### Hundredweight (US) (cwt) A US hundredweight (short hundredweight or cental) is exactly 100 pounds or 45.359237 kilograms. Used in US agriculture and commodities trading. ### Hundredweight (UK) (cwt) A UK hundredweight (long hundredweight) is exactly 112 pounds or 50.80234544 kilograms. Used in British agriculture and traditional commerce. ## Background Historical trade records between the United States and the British Empire frequently require this conversion. A cargo manifest listing '50 hundredweights' of cotton means very different quantities depending on which side of the Atlantic wrote it. British colonial trade statistics in long hundredweights must be converted to short hundredweights for comparison with American production data, and vice versa. ## Good to Know The short-to-long hundredweight conversion captures one of the most stubborn measurement disagreements in commercial history. For over two centuries, American and British merchants used the same word 'hundredweight' to mean two different things, creating confusion that persisted until the metric ton finally provided a neutral alternative that neither side could claim as their own. ## FAQ ### What is the difference between a short and long hundredweight? The short hundredweight (US) is exactly 100 pounds. The long hundredweight (British) is exactly 112 pounds. The long hundredweight is 12 percent heavier, a difference of 12 pounds or about 5.4 kilograms. ### Why do two different hundredweights exist? The British long hundredweight of 112 pounds derives from the medieval practice of 8 stone (8 x 14 = 112). Americans simplified this to 100 pounds for cleaner arithmetic. Neither country adopted the other's version, creating a permanent transatlantic measurement discrepancy. ### How do I convert short hundredweights to long hundredweights? Multiply short hundredweights by 0.8929 (or equivalently, divide by 1.12). For example, 10 short hundredweights equals about 8.93 long hundredweights. ## Non-Frequently Asked Questions ### Has the hundredweight discrepancy ever caused a real trade dispute? Yes. Before standard international contracts specified which hundredweight was intended, the 12 percent difference caused billing disputes, cargo shortages, and general irritation between American and British merchants. A contract for '1,000 hundredweights' of goods could differ by 12,000 pounds (about 5,443 kilograms) depending on interpretation, which is an expensive misunderstanding. ### Which hundredweight is more honest? The short hundredweight wins on honesty: it is called a 'hundredweight' and it weighs a hundred pounds. The long hundredweight is called a 'hundredweight' but weighs 112 pounds, which by any standard is not a hundred. The British would argue that 'hundredweight' refers to the long hundred (112), but the Americans have the dictionary on their side. ### If I buy a hundredweight of apples in New York and sell it in London, do I lose 12 pounds of apples? You do not lose any apples. You have the same physical quantity regardless of which hundredweight system you use. However, if you bought '1 hundredweight' in New York (100 lbs) and tried to deliver '1 hundredweight' in London (where they expect 112 lbs), you would be 12 pounds short and owe the buyer an additional bag of apples. ## Related Articles - [Why We Measure: The Deepest Urge in Human Civilisation](https://www.unitconvertercalculator.com/blog/why-we-measure) - [The Map Is Not the Territory: Why Every Measurement Is Wrong](https://www.unitconvertercalculator.com/blog/the-map-is-not-the-territory) - [Zero: The Most Dangerous Number in Measurement](https://www.unitconvertercalculator.com/blog/zero-the-most-dangerous-number-in-measurement) - [The Kilogram Problem: The Object That Was Its Own Definition](https://www.unitconvertercalculator.com/blog/the-kilogram-problem) - [The Body as a Ruler: Every Measurement Unit That Came From Us](https://www.unitconvertercalculator.com/blog/the-body-as-a-ruler) - [Why Your Recipe Is Lying to You: The Chaos of Cooking Measurements](https://www.unitconvertercalculator.com/blog/why-recipe-measurements-are-unreliable) - [15 Obscure Measurement Units You've Never Heard Of (But Still Need)](https://www.unitconvertercalculator.com/blog/obscure-measurement-units-guide) - [When Measurements Go Wrong - Disasters, Blunders and Happy Accidents](https://www.unitconvertercalculator.com/blog/when-measurements-go-wrong) - [The Surprising Stories Behind Everyday Units of Measurement](https://www.unitconvertercalculator.com/blog/stories-behind-measurement-units) - [Metric vs. Imperial - The Complete Guide to the World's Two Measurement Systems](https://www.unitconvertercalculator.com/blog/metric-vs-imperial-complete-guide) - [Understanding Weight Units - Kilograms, Pounds, Stones & Ounces](https://www.unitconvertercalculator.com/blog/understanding-weight-units) - [Complete Baking Measurement Guide - Cups, Grams, Ounces](https://www.unitconvertercalculator.com/blog/baking-measurement-guide) ## See Also - [Hundredweights (UK) to Hundredweights (US)](https://www.unitconvertercalculator.com/weight/long-hundredweights-to-short-hundredweights/)