What is lighter a pound of butter or a pound of feathers?

Answer 1

If your talking imperial time then in avrodipus weight a pound of feathers is lighter, in troy weight it would be the butter but under current measurements it would weigh the same.

Answer 2

Salt & Light (lbs.)

1. Which is heavier a pound of gold or a pound of feathers

____a) gold

____b) feathers

____c) both weigh the same

In the first question did you choose c) both weigh the same? A lot of people answer incorrectly, so if you chose c), then don't feel too badly. The correct answer is b)-feathers.

"Preposterous!" you cry?

So, how can a pound of feathers weigh more than a pound of gold? You may be surprised to discover that most things procured by the pound weigh more than a pound of gold.

Among the elements on the Periodic Chart gold and lead have similar atomic weights, yet a pound of lead weighs more than a pound of gold. No, I am not making this up as I go. I don't know when or why the weight differentiation was established, but I figure it was the scheme of some marketing guy bent on making a fast buck.

Whatever the circumstances, the facts are that gold is measured by troy weight, while lead and feathers are measured by avoirdupois weight. Common substances (lead, feathers) are measured by the avoirdupois weight system, while precious metals (gold, silver) and precious stones or gems are weighed using the troy weight system. The principle difference between the two systems is troy consists of a 12 ounce pound while avoirdupois consists of a 16 ounce pound. But even though a pound of feathers is heavier than a pound of gold, should someone force you to chose with which of the two you would rather be struck on the head, I recommend the feathers.

The following definitions are found in the American Heritage Dictionary and should be sufficient to prove the validity of the above statements.

troy weight n. A system of units of weight in which the grain is the same as in the avoirdupois system and the pound contains 12 ounces, 240 pennyweights, or 5,760 grains.

avoirdupois weight n. A system of weights and measures based on a pound containing 16 ounces or 7,000 grains and equal to 453.59 grams

Answer 3

Both weigh the same, obviously, so neither is lighter, but you're going to get more feathers than pieces of butter per pound... Clearly, the feathers will occupy more space because you'll need more feathers to make a pound than you do butter. Butter's dense, feathers are not.

Although, if you ate a pound of butter and your friend ate a pound of feathers, I think you'd gain more weight than your friend, due to the caloric value of butter being far greater than that of feathers....I suspect your friend would be mightily sick though.

And imagine sleeping under a butter-down quilt... ew.

Answer 4

They both weigh the same, because a pound is a pound, however the pound of feathers has more density than the pound of butter.

Answer 5

Neither, while a pound of butter has more mass than a pound of feathers the weight is the same.

Answer 6

A pound is a pound, whether it be feathers or butter or anything else, there will be a hell of alot more feathers then butter, but they weight the same...

Answer 7

Nothing lighter nor heavier. Butter and Feathers has an equal weight of one pound.

Answer 8

They weigh the same. Their both a pound. But the butter feels heavier because it's denser. And takes up less space than the feathers.

Answer 9

They weight the same. But it takes a lot more feathers to make a pound.

Answer 10

Sounds like the same to me. 1 pound = 1 pound