Stone (unit) facts for kids
The stone is a way to measure how heavy something is. It's part of the Imperial system, which is used in some countries like the United Kingdom. One stone is the same as 14 pounds. To give you an idea, 160 stones make up a very large unit called a long ton.
If you use the metric system, which is common around the world, one stone is about 6.35 kilograms. You can write 'stone' as st for short.
What is a Stone?
A stone is a traditional unit of mass. It helps people talk about weight, especially for people and animals. For example, if someone weighs 10 stone, it means they weigh 140 pounds. This unit has been used for a very long time.
Where is the Stone Used Today?
Even though the stone was officially stopped for trade in Ireland (1983) and the United Kingdom (1985), people still use it every day. It's very common to hear people talk about their weight in stones and pounds.
You'll often see the stone used in:
- Media: News and magazines often use stones when talking about people's weight.
- Sports: In sports like boxing and horse racing, competitors' weights are often given in stones and pounds. For example, a boxer might be said to weigh "12 stone 4 pounds."
Images for kids
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The Eschborn Museum's 2nd-century stone weight of 40 Roman pounds (about 13 kg).
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A picture of a medieval German scale weighing bales of wool.
See also
In Spanish: Stone (unidad de masa) para niños
