Which weighs the most, a pound of feathers or a pound of gold?

Question

gold is measured in 12 troy ounces to the pound, you idiots, not the standard 16 ounces in a regular pound.

Answer 1

You shouldn't have added the "details". Some of us already know that the answer is FEATHERS, measured by the 16-oz "avoirdupois" pound (used for weighing most things). Gold. like other fine metals, is measured in 'troy weight, with 12 ounces to the pound.

So you COULD ask "Which weighs more... an ounce of feather or an ounce of gold?"

But once again the answer is NOT 'they are the same.' In this case, it is the GOLD that 'weighs more', because the troy ounce (480 grains) is about 10% heavier than the avoirdupois ounce (437.5 grains).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Troy_ounce

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EDIT:

In response some who still insist on defending the mistaken answer "the same".

1) Someone's gotten their math confused -- a troy ounce is about TEN per cent heavier than the avor. lb. , NOT *THIRTY* percent as your "1.3" has it.; so the avoirdupois pound is still much more than the troy pound (about 21.5% heavier).

Multiply it out: troy pound = 480grains/oz x 12 oz = 5760 grains; avoirdupois - 437.5 x 16 = 7000.

2) You do not HAVE to specify "troy pound", because that is the way gold IS measured. And the whole POINT of the trick question is that people do not know the different systems!

(Hmm. Suppose I were to show you an engagement ring and ask whether the 24 carat gold ring or the 24 carat diamond set in it was worth more. Would you tell me they must be worth the same since I said "carat" both times?!)

Answer 2

But the question remains, is a troy ounce heavier than a standard ounce? If a troy ounce = 1.3 standard ounces (i think i've done the math right) then 12 troy = 16 standard, so a pound = a pound. Also, the question (or the asker) is assuming that the gold in the question is measured in gold units, which is necessary in order to obtain the non-standard correct (or standardly given but incorrect) answer that one is heavier than the other. If, in fact, you actually have 16 standard ounces of each (each is a pound) then the standard answer (correction) applies - they weigh the same, although the pound of feathers is larger in volume.

Answer 3

Sorry, they weigh the same. If we were taking into account the difference between troy weight and standard weight, we'd call a pound of gold in that measurement a Troy pound, not a pound.

Because you did not specify, we have to assume you are using the avoirdupois measurement...therefore they are the same.

Answer 4

They're both the same weight - 1 pound each - but in size, of course you get a bigger load of feathers compared to the size of a gold bar....

Answer 5

Let's see, why don't you stand at the bottom of the building, I'll stand at the top, drop a pound of each on you and you can tell me which one felt heavier.... How's that sound...?

Answer 6

i'm pretty sure that a pound of feathers plus a pound of gold is way heavier than your brain ...

Answer 7

a pound of feathers = a pound of gold. they both are same.

Answer 8

They both weigh the same, 1 lb.

Answer 9

they both weigh one pound, so none's heavier between the two.

Answer 10

the same... a pound is a pound