How Much Does A Pint Of Water Weight

An "Imperial pint" (also just called "pint" in many parts of the globe) is 20 fluid ounces.

[Updated December 16, 2012]
Have you ever heard the proverb, "A pint is a pound the globe around?" It'due south not really truthful.
In 2009, I published a blog post that started with that line. It was about an email I got from Ben & Jerry'south describing how ane of its "competitors" (Hagen Daz) had downsized their ice cream pints from 16 ounces to 14 ounces. That postal service, and the comments that followed, are reprinted in full below because I do not want to sweep nether the rug anything anyone said. It would not be fair to the commenters, and it was an insightful conversation.
I essentially said that the maxim "A pint is a pound the world effectually" is misleading and "wrong." I hold by that statement, although I did go a few points incorrect, or at least not right enough. I'll explain in a moment.

An "American pint" (also just chosen "pint" in the U.S.) is xvi fluid ounces.

The real take-abroad for me was this: A "pint" is not universal. It's location dependent.
First, there is the confusing difference betwixt ounces and fluid ounces. Ounces measure weight (mass) and fluid ounces measure volume. This distinction tin get confusing when converting units of measure, and it is the principal stardom that I did non brand conspicuously or get right in the original post.
Second, what many Americans miss is that we say a pint is 16 ounces, but the English say a pint is 20 ounces. In America, we distinguish betwixt the two by calling the English language pint an "Royal pint."
Rest assured, the English language simply call information technology a pint. Guild a pint in whatever pub in the U.K., and you'll get a 20-ounce beer. They don't call it in an Imperial pint. It's just a pint.

Baskets of "ground cherries" in Montreal.

And then there are "punnets." I didn't even talk about punnets in the original mail. A punnet is a term used in the U.K., and it doesn't have an exact unit of mensurate. Information technology's basically a small basket-ful. You know those cardboard containers that might agree cherry tomatoes or blackberries? Those are punnets. The actual size varies, but from my experience in markets, the American "basket" is typically smaller than the English "punnet." But very generally speaking, a punnet agree somewhere in the neighborhood of a pint... a dry pint, that is.
Just to really confuse you, the film shown here of baskets of ground cherries is from Canada.
So what does the saying "A pint is a pound the world effectually" mean?

I have not found whatever well documented information on where that maxim originated (post a comment if you have a good source, delight!), but I would guess it is American because information technology refers to the American "pint" of water (book) weighing sixteen ounces (mass). You could also read into the part about "the world around" being part and packet of the American outlook, too, eh? (I'g American, but I do run into that my countrymen assume that our nation is the center of the globe.)

There's a second saying, though, that I'd have to guess is British in origin considering it refers to the twenty-ounce pint:

"A pint of pure water weighs a pound and a quarter."
If you would like to correct annihilation I've written hither, I am happy to revisit this whole topic once more, but please be kind in the comments. Writing with a nasty or condescending tone will non persuade me to heed to your argument. I am totally happy to recognize and call attention to the fact if I accept made a fault, but I will exist much more likely to do so if you lot arroyo me in a kind manner. -Jill Duffy

ORIGINAL POST AND COMMENTS

A Pint is Not a Pound the Earth Effectually
March ix, 2009

Accept you ever heard this maxim: "A pint is a pound the world around"?
Information technology'due south non really true.
In the U.S., a pint is 16 ounces, which is indeed a pound. Simply that's not the end of the story.
Most people have heard that the drinks in the U.K. are bigger than in the U.South. It'southward truthful. An "English pint" is twenty fluid ounces.
Merely some "pints" are smaller.
This morning, I got Chunkmail (that's Ben & Jerry'south e-mail newsletter), implying that Haagen Daz was shrinking the amount of ice foam contained in its pint containers:

1 of our competitors (think funny sounding European proper name) recently appear they will be downsizing their pints from sixteen to 14 ounces to cover increased ingredient & manufacturing costs and assistance better their bottom line. At Ben & Jerry'due south we think downsizing pints is downright wrong. We sympathize that in today'south hard economic times businesses are feeling the compression. We as well understand that many of you are likewise feeling the aforementioned, & remember now more than ever you deserve your full pint of ice cream.

Nosotros are even more than committed today to lead with our values through the quality of our ingredients & how we source them to make the all-time ice foam possible. So, while our competitor may be experiencing a flake of shrinkage, residue assured that your Ben & Jerry's will withal exist standing alpine in the freezer. Enjoy!

I but happened to have a pint of Haagen Daz in my freezer, and then I checked to see how much ice cream its "pints" contain.
It reads 437ml! Sneaky!
According to a conversion calculator, that'southward 14.78 ounces.
Only really, that deceptive. Shame on y'all, Haagen Daz! Shame on your brand, and shame on your name.

COMMENTS ON ORIGINAL Mail service

LeighMarch 6, 2009 11:27 AM
Wait a minute. You lot're on the B&J's newsletter listserv?
Jill DuffyMarch 6, 2009 1:52 PM
Yes. It'southward not a listserv. It'south the company'southward marketing e-mail.
Grace March 6, 2009 two:22 PM
Oh my god give thanks you. I take a long, long story about why I hate Haagen Daz, but it will take to wait until nosotros're actually just together in person.
I've been baking all our bread! Is that moving from food-enthusiast-y to more house-wife-y? I don't care, it's delish.
Leigh March viii, 2009 ane:45 PM
Okay...you're on the B&J's marketing electronic mail listing?
Jill Duffy March 9, 2009 12:46 PM
Aye. I'thou on the Ben & Jerry's marketing electronic mail list. Is that odd?
Leigh March ten, 2009 vii:14 AM
I love it!
Anonymous May 8, 2010 9:03 AM
You practice empathise that the comment relates to water, and water only. Oil weighs less than h2o, hence the reason information technology floats to the surface. Pints are volume measures, and the saying only holds true with h2o.
Now, most your ice cream. The weight depends on how much air is whipped into the custard. The more air, the less weight, but this will not affect the volume. Understand?
Jill E. Duffy May 8, 2010 12:03 PM
To the anonymous commenter, yes, I sympathize the difference between weight and book. There are actually two kinds of ounces: one is a unit of mass and the other, the "fluid ounce" is a unit of volume.
Nevertheless, I call back you're missing something that I did not make clear in the mail service.

There are besides ii "pint" measurements, just as there are two "gallon" measurements: an American pint (16 fluid ounces) and "imperial" pint or English pint, which is 20 fluid ounces. Similarly, there's an "imperial gallon," which is roughly equal to about ane.25 American gallons.

Whipping air into ice cream is a proficient bespeak, and I run across what you are saying. The more I am reading up on this (I've been on Wikipedia for nearly xxx minutes now), the more confusing it gets.

The pint containers hold 500ml (volume). I'thousand actually nevertheless confused at present about where 473ml comes from. Is that the volume of the ice cream before air is whipped in?

There are regulations nigh how much air (percent) can exist whipped in before the maker can no longer label the production every bit "water ice cream" in the U.S.

Long afterward I wrote this postal service, I noticed that B&J's weight on ice foam is non 16 oz. either, and like Haagen Daz, it's given in ml. The size of the container is 500ml, merely the production inside is 473ml.

I've found Haagen Daz containers listing 473ml likewise every bit 414ml (in a "14 oz" container).

I recall the nigh important matter to note here is how difficult it is for the consumer to go straight information!
Bearding Nov 24, 2010 xi:35 PM
I know this is old, simply information technology's crawly how you say that you lot understand the difference betwixt weight and volume and then say:
"I noticed that B&J's weight on ice cream is not xvi oz. either, and similar Haagen Daz, it'south given in ml."

It'southward not weight. Information technology'southward volume. That'southward why milliLITERS are involved -- that's a unit of volume. Ya know how yous can buy a GALLON of ice cream? It's sold past volume.
Jill Due east. Duffy November 26, 2010 9:35 AM
This annotate has been removed by the writer.
Jill E. Duffy November 26, 2010 nine:forty AM
I wouldn't say it's "awesome." I would say I made some other mistake. I should have said "unit of measurement of measure."
Anonymous January 3, 2011 12:25 AM
Really, you're both wrong. A pint of h2o is not a pound.
1 pint = 16 fluid oz.
1 pound = sixteen (dry) oz.
i fl. oz. of h2o does non equal 1 dry oz. of h2o. To interruption this down, information technology's easiest catechumen it all into metric units.

ane pint = 473.176473 mL
1 pound = 453.59237 chiliad

Now, since the density of water is one g/mL (i.eastward. 1 mL of water = 1 g), you tin come across that 1 pint (473 mL) does not equal 1 pound (453 g).

This has zero to practice with imperial measurements, the maxim is but wrong. A pint of water weighs approximately i.04 lbs., and this is considering i fluid oz. and 1 (dry) oz. are 2 very unlike measurements. People think that the density of h2o is 1, and, therefore, ane fl. oz. of water = 1 oz. This is incorrect. The density of water is 1 thou/mL, but not 1 oz./fl. oz. In the U.s.a. customary arrangement, the density of water is actually .9586 oz./fl. oz.
Bearding January 17, 2012 12:35 AM
1st, Clearly people in general cannot sympathise the deviation between units of weight and units of volume...
2nd, The saying " A pints a pound the world effectually " is just a uncomplicated saying to help people think the approximate weight of water, or whatever other liquid with a like density.
1.00lbs vs 1.04lbs would take a bit to make a difference unless you were in a laboratory- in that case you lot probably shouldnt exist using the saying in the first place.
Anonymous December 15, 2012 8:49 AM
Thank you.! Finally someone gets it. Phew.