Could someone help me with two very specific cooking questions?

Question

I have two questions about cooking:

1. How much, exactly, is one cup of butter?

2. Without using a candy thermometer, how would you know if what you're cooking has reached the "soft ball stage?"

Answer 1

1 cup butter = 2 sticks in US = 8 oz = 16 Tbs
For soft ball stage - Have a glass bowl or measuring cup near your stove with cold water in it. If syrup is at least coating your (wooden) spoon, drip a little into the water. If it will form a soft ball with just a little finger pressure, you've got it; otherwise keep boiling it.

Answer 2

One cup of butter is 12 ounces soft, not melted.

soft ball stage can be be tested by putting the cooked sugar into a bowl of very cold water. It will remain soft and you be able to squeeze it to a soft ball in the water and then remove it and it still will be soft.
The trick is getting there without cooking it past the soft ball stage.
How to do this?
when the sugar mixture begins to boil every minute add a couple drops of the hot sugar mixture to the cold water.
The first few times the sugar mixture will probably dissolve.
But eventually you will arrive at the softball stage. Remember the water you are dropping the hot sugar mixture into must be COLD. If you find the water warming up after adding the sugar mixture a few times change the water.

Chef Robert, Author of Chef Robert presents romantic dinners for two

Answer 3

One cup of butter is 2 sticks-1/2 pound
Drop a small amount of your mixture into water-if it forms a soft ball you're there.

Answer 4

For #2, it's the weirdest thing. It will really turn into a ball when you drip it into the water. It will be that obvious. Each time I do this, I think I am in a science class. Pretty cool!

Answer 5

A pint is a pound the world around. Cup would be 1/2 pound.

Answer 6

I am sure if someone must have helped u

and i really dont know the answers