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Memory Alpha
For the volumetric measurement, please see gross ton.

A ton or metric ton was a unit of mass and occasionally of energy.

The metric ton was also a factor in figuring shear force, which was determined by calculating metric ton per meter.

Generically, the term "ton" can also mean a large, unspecified amount.

When it was learned that Enterprise NX-01 was going to investigate the Terra Nova colony in 2151, Travis Mayweather searched through the historical archives and found "tons of data", including crew manifests, survey photos, and weekly status reports. (ENT: "Terra Nova")

Korob, who presented a large quantity of diamonds, rubies, emeralds, and sapphires, was told by the unimpressed James T. Kirk that "[w]e could manufacture a ton of these on our ship. They mean nothing to us." (TOS: "Catspaw")

Comparative list of measurements[]

Units of mass[]

Ton = 2,000 pounds or 1,000 kilograms

Several of the references below are explicit uses of the SI metric unit, others simply stated "tons", indicating the possible use of the US/Imperial short ton unit (2,000 pounds). In at least one case the metric ton (rf. "Relativity") was implied when ton was stated (rf. "Phage").

Metric ton = 1,000 kilograms
  • The Quarren facility was capable of producing 8,000 metric tons of tylium per second at 94% thermal efficiency. (VOY: "Workforce")
  • The inertial mass of the moon had decreased to approximately 2.5 million metric tons. (TNG: "Deja Q")
Kiloton = 1 thousand tons

This episode's dialogue also gave the alternate equal measurement of 30,000 metric tons.

Gigaton = 1 billion tons
  • When Saowin attempted to repay Kurros and the Think Tank for their aide, he explained he was unable to repay the amount of bernicium that was requested for their transaction due to the fact that their mines were destroyed in the last series of quakes, and the ore in question was buried under 60 gigatons of rock. (VOY: "Think Tank")
Isoton

Units of energy []

A ton was also a way of indicating the energy released by an explosion of one metric ton of TNT - 4.184 gigajoules. In the 20th century nuclear weapons were graded in megatons – by the millions of megagrams of TNT they equaled.

External links[]

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