Recipes, postal scales, baby weights and deli counters move between pounds and ounces constantly, and decimal pounds on a digital scale are the usual source of confusion: 2.75 lb is not 2 lb 7.5 oz. This converter turns any number of pounds into ounces and shows the same weight as pounds-and-ounces, grams and kilograms.
How to use the pounds to ounces converter
- Enter the weight in Pounds (lb). Decimals are fine — that is how most digital scales display weight.
- Read the result in ounces.
- Check the extra rows for pounds and ounces, grams, kilograms, and the equivalent in troy ounces.
- Use the chart for common amounts and the fraction table for deli and recipe quantities.
Pounds to ounces formula
The factor is exact. Under the 1959 international agreement the avoirdupois pound is exactly 0.45359237 kg, and the ounce is defined as 1/16 of it (28.349523125 g).
To split a decimal into pounds and ounces, keep the whole pounds and multiply only the decimal part by 16:
Worked example
A package of ground beef weighs 2.75 lb on the store label.
Ounces: 2.75 × 16 = 44 oz.
Pounds and ounces: 2 lb + 0.75 × 16 = 2 lb 12 oz.
Grams: 2.75 × 453.59237 = 1,247.4 g.
A recipe that needs 12 oz uses 12 ÷ 44 = 27% of the package.
A smaller case: a digital scale reads 0.4 lb of cheese. 0.4 × 16 = 6.4 oz, a little more than the 6 oz a recipe might ask for.
Fractions of a pound
| Fraction | Ounces | Grams |
|---|---|---|
| 1/16 lb | 1 | 28.3 |
| 1/8 lb | 2 | 56.7 |
| 1/4 lb | 4 | 113.4 |
| 1/3 lb | 5.33 | 151.2 |
| 1/2 lb | 8 | 226.8 |
| 2/3 lb | 10.67 | 302.4 |
| 3/4 lb | 12 | 340.2 |
| 1 lb | 16 | 453.6 |
Decimal pounds on a scale
Digital kitchen and shipping scales often show tenths or hundredths of a pound. Each tenth is 1.6 oz, so the readings convert like this:
| Scale reads | Ounces | lb & oz |
|---|---|---|
| 0.1 lb | 1.6 | 1.6 oz |
| 0.25 lb | 4 | 4 oz |
| 0.5 lb | 8 | 8 oz |
| 1.3 lb | 20.8 | 1 lb 4.8 oz |
| 3.6 lb | 57.6 | 3 lb 9.6 oz |
Which ounce?
Three different “ounces” are in everyday use, and this converter uses the first:
- Avoirdupois ounce (oz) — 28.35 g; 16 to the pound. Food, people, parcels.
- Troy ounce (oz t) — 31.10 g; 12 to the troy pound. Gold, silver, platinum. See the troy weight converter.
- US fluid ounce (fl oz) — 29.57 mL of volume. Drinks, liquid ingredients. See mL to ounces.
To go the other way, use ounces to pounds. For metric conversions, try lbs to kg or ounces to grams.
Frequently asked questions
How many ounces are in a pound?
Sixteen. The avoirdupois pound used for everyday weights in the US and UK is divided into 16 ounces, so multiply pounds by 16 to get ounces.
How many ounces is 2.5 pounds?
40 ounces, because 2.5 × 16 = 40. As pounds and ounces that is 2 lb 8 oz.
Is a quarter-pound 4 ounces?
Yes. One quarter of 16 ounces is 4 ounces, which is about 113 grams. A half pound is 8 ounces (227 g) and three quarters of a pound is 12 ounces (340 g).
Are troy ounces and fluid ounces the same as regular ounces?
No. A troy ounce, used for gold and silver, is 31.1 grams versus 28.35 grams for an ordinary ounce, and a troy pound has only 12 troy ounces. A fluid ounce measures volume, not weight; only for water is one US fluid ounce close to one ounce of weight (about 1.04 oz).