The fact that the 112 lb hundredweight = 50.8 kg is accidental. It dates
back to the thirteenth century. There were also cwt's of 100, 104 and 108
lbs.
R.D. Connor, The Weights and Measures of England, London 1987, pp. 136-137.
Han
----- Original Message -----
From: "kilopascal" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; "U.S. Metric Association" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Sent: Saturday, March 17, 2001 12:18 AM
Subject: Re: [USMA:11651] RE: last night in the House of Commons
2001-03-16
If there is a US hundredweight, then it is obsolete and out of use. I have
never heard of it or seen it in use. I'm sure if I asked around, people
would give me an odd look. Maybe there is some fringe group or industry that
uses it, but I doubt one will find a scale around calibrated in this odd
unit.
It seems that the British hundredweight of 112 lb is very close to 50 kg.
I wonder if that was accidental or planned that way?
John
<snip>
