Convert pounds to ounces quickly and accurately with our comprehensive calculator. Perfect for cooking, recipe scaling, weight tracking, shipping calculations, and professional applications where precise pound-to-ounce conversions are essential.
Essential Conversion Information
1 pound = 16 ounces (exactly)
- Formula: lbs × 16 = oz
- Reverse formula: oz ÷ 16 = lbs
- Quick tip: To convert oz to lbs, divide by 16
Quick Reference Conversion Table
| Pounds (lbs) |
Ounces (oz) |
Decimal Form |
Common Use |
| 0.25 lbs |
4 oz |
0.25 |
Burger patty |
| 0.5 lbs |
8 oz |
0.5 |
Cup of liquid |
| 0.75 lbs |
12 oz |
0.75 |
Can of soda |
| 1 lb |
16 oz |
1.0 |
Standard unit |
| 1.5 lbs |
24 oz |
1.5 |
Large steak |
| 2 lbs |
32 oz |
2.0 |
Bag of flour |
| 5 lbs |
80 oz |
5.0 |
Large bag sugar |
| 10 lbs |
160 oz |
10.0 |
Bowling ball |
| 25 lbs |
400 oz |
25.0 |
Large dog |
| 50 lbs |
800 oz |
50.0 |
Luggage limit |
Cooking and Recipe Conversions
Common Cooking Measurements
Convert cooking ingredients from pounds to ounces for precise recipe scaling:
| Ingredient |
Pounds |
Ounces |
Kitchen Notes |
| Flour (all-purpose) |
1 lb |
16 oz |
≈ 3.5 cups |
| Sugar (granulated) |
1 lb |
16 oz |
≈ 2.25 cups |
| Brown sugar |
1 lb |
16 oz |
≈ 2.5 cups packed |
| Butter |
1 lb |
16 oz |
4 sticks = 2 cups |
| Powdered sugar |
1 lb |
16 oz |
≈ 4 cups sifted |
| Chocolate chips |
1 lb |
16 oz |
≈ 2.5 cups |
| Nuts (chopped) |
1 lb |
16 oz |
≈ 4 cups |
Recipe Scaling Guide
| Original Recipe |
Double Recipe |
Half Recipe |
Quarter Recipe |
| 0.25 lbs (4 oz) |
0.5 lbs (8 oz) |
0.125 lbs (2 oz) |
0.0625 lbs (1 oz) |
| 0.5 lbs (8 oz) |
1 lb (16 oz) |
0.25 lbs (4 oz) |
0.125 lbs (2 oz) |
| 1 lb (16 oz) |
2 lbs (32 oz) |
0.5 lbs (8 oz) |
0.25 lbs (4 oz) |
| 2 lbs (32 oz) |
4 lbs (64 oz) |
1 lb (16 oz) |
0.5 lbs (8 oz) |
Food Service and Commercial Kitchen
Restaurant Portion Control
| Food Item |
Standard Portion (lbs) |
Standard Portion (oz) |
Serving Type |
| Steak (ribeye) |
0.5-0.75 lbs |
8-12 oz |
Main course |
| Burger patty |
0.25-0.33 lbs |
4-5.3 oz |
Regular burger |
| Chicken breast |
0.375 lbs |
6 oz |
Individual serving |
| Fish fillet |
0.25-0.375 lbs |
4-6 oz |
Main course |
| Pasta (dry) |
0.125 lbs |
2 oz |
Side dish |
| Side vegetables |
0.1875 lbs |
3 oz |
Accompaniment |
Bulk Purchasing for Restaurants
| Product |
Bulk Size (lbs) |
Bulk Size (oz) |
Typical Uses |
| Ground beef |
10 lbs |
160 oz |
40 burger patties |
| Flour (commercial) |
25 lbs |
400 oz |
Daily bread production |
| Rice (restaurant) |
20 lbs |
320 oz |
Weekly supply |
| Cheese (shredded) |
5 lbs |
80 oz |
Pizza toppings |
Health and Fitness Applications
Weight Tracking and Goals
| Weight Loss Goal |
Pounds |
Ounces |
Timeline |
| Weekly goal (healthy) |
1-2 lbs |
16-32 oz |
7 days |
| Monthly goal |
4-8 lbs |
64-128 oz |
30 days |
| Small milestone |
10 lbs |
160 oz |
2-3 months |
| Major milestone |
25 lbs |
400 oz |
6 months |
| Significant goal |
50 lbs |
800 oz |
12 months |
Protein Intake by Body Weight
| Body Weight |
Pounds |
Daily Protein (oz) |
Activity Level |
| Light person |
120 lbs |
3.4-4.2 oz |
Sedentary |
| Average person |
150 lbs |
4.2-5.3 oz |
Moderate activity |
| Active person |
180 lbs |
6.4-8.1 oz |
Regular exercise |
| Athletic person |
200 lbs |
7.1-10.6 oz |
Intense training |
Sports and Equipment
Boxing Glove Weights
| Glove Weight |
Pounds |
Ounces |
Use Case |
| Training gloves |
0.75-1 lb |
12-16 oz |
Heavy bag work |
| Sparring gloves |
0.875-1 lb |
14-16 oz |
Partner training |
| Competition gloves |
0.5-0.625 lb |
8-10 oz |
Professional fights |
| Amateur competition |
0.625-0.75 lb |
10-12 oz |
Olympic style |
Weightlifting Equipment
| Equipment |
Weight (lbs) |
Weight (oz) |
Standard Use |
| Olympic barbell |
44-45 lbs |
704-720 oz |
Men’s standard |
| Women’s barbell |
33 lbs |
528 oz |
Women’s standard |
| Standard plates |
2.5-45 lbs |
40-720 oz |
Weight increments |
| Dumbbells (pairs) |
5-100+ lbs |
80-1600+ oz |
Progressive training |
Baby and Child Development
Infant Weight Milestones
| Age |
Average Weight (lbs) |
Average Weight (oz) |
Development Stage |
| Newborn |
5.5-8.8 lbs |
88-141 oz |
Birth weight |
| 1 month |
7.9-11.1 lbs |
126-178 oz |
Initial growth |
| 3 months |
11.3-15.4 lbs |
181-246 oz |
Rapid growth |
| 6 months |
14.1-18.7 lbs |
226-299 oz |
Solid foods start |
| 12 months |
18.7-24.2 lbs |
299-387 oz |
First birthday |
| 24 months |
24.0-30.9 lbs |
384-494 oz |
Toddler stage |
Pediatric Dosage Guidelines
Important: Always consult healthcare professionals for medical dosages.
| Child Weight |
Pounds |
Ounces |
Typical Age Range |
| Infant |
8-20 lbs |
128-320 oz |
0-12 months |
| Toddler |
20-35 lbs |
320-560 oz |
1-3 years |
| Preschooler |
35-50 lbs |
560-800 oz |
3-6 years |
| School age |
50-100 lbs |
800-1600 oz |
6-12 years |
Shipping and Postal Services
USPS Weight Categories
| Service Type |
Weight Limit (lbs) |
Weight Limit (oz) |
Cost Category |
| First-Class Mail |
0.8125 lbs |
13 oz |
Letters/postcards |
| First-Class Package |
0.8125 lbs |
13 oz |
Small packages |
| Priority Mail |
70 lbs |
1,120 oz |
Standard shipping |
| Priority Express |
70 lbs |
1,120 oz |
Overnight delivery |
| Ground Advantage |
70 lbs |
1,120 oz |
Economy option |
Package Sizing Guidelines
| Package Type |
Typical Weight (lbs) |
Typical Weight (oz) |
Best Service |
| Document envelope |
0.1-0.5 lbs |
1.6-8 oz |
First-Class Mail |
| Small product |
0.5-3 lbs |
8-48 oz |
Ground Advantage |
| Medium box |
3-20 lbs |
48-320 oz |
Priority Mail |
| Large package |
20-70 lbs |
320-1,120 oz |
Priority/Ground |
Pet Care and Veterinary
Dog Breeds by Weight
| Breed Size |
Weight Range (lbs) |
Weight Range (oz) |
Example Breeds |
| Toy breeds |
2-10 lbs |
32-160 oz |
Chihuahua, Yorkshire Terrier |
| Small breeds |
10-25 lbs |
160-400 oz |
Beagle, Corgi |
| Medium breeds |
25-60 lbs |
400-960 oz |
Border Collie, Bulldog |
| Large breeds |
60-90 lbs |
960-1,440 oz |
Golden Retriever, German Shepherd |
| Giant breeds |
90-200+ lbs |
1,440-3,200+ oz |
Great Dane, Mastiff |
Pet Food Portions
| Pet Weight |
Pounds |
Daily Food (oz) |
Feeding Schedule |
| Small dog |
5-15 lbs |
1.5-4 oz |
2-3 meals/day |
| Medium dog |
15-40 lbs |
4-8 oz |
2 meals/day |
| Large dog |
40-80 lbs |
8-14 oz |
2 meals/day |
| Giant dog |
80+ lbs |
14-20+ oz |
2-3 meals/day |
Precious Metals and Jewelry
Troy Weight vs Avoirdupois Weight
Important: Precious metals use troy ounces, not regular ounces!
| Avoirdupois |
Pounds |
Ounces (regular) |
Troy Ounces |
| Small jewelry piece |
0.01 lbs |
0.16 oz |
0.146 troy oz |
| Standard coin |
0.0625 lbs |
1 oz |
0.912 troy oz |
| Troy ounce equivalent |
0.068 lbs |
1.097 oz |
1 troy oz |
| Small gold bar |
0.68 lbs |
10.97 oz |
10 troy oz |
Conversion formulas:
- 1 troy ounce = 1.097 regular ounces
- 1 regular ounce = 0.912 troy ounces
- 1 pound = 14.58 troy ounces (not 16!)
Agricultural and Farming
Livestock Feed Calculations
| Animal Type |
Animal Weight (lbs) |
Daily Feed (oz) |
Feed Type |
| Chickens (layer) |
4-6 lbs |
3.2-4.8 oz |
Layer pellets |
| Chickens (broiler) |
2-8 lbs |
4-12 oz |
Broiler feed |
| Goats |
50-150 lbs |
24-72 oz |
Hay/grain mix |
| Sheep |
100-200 lbs |
32-64 oz |
Pasture/hay |
| Pigs |
50-250 lbs |
80-400 oz |
Pig feed |
Seed and Fertilizer Applications
| Product Type |
Coverage Area |
Application Rate (lbs) |
Application Rate (oz) |
| Grass seed |
1,000 sq ft |
2-4 lbs |
32-64 oz |
| Fertilizer (granular) |
1,000 sq ft |
2.5-5 lbs |
40-80 oz |
| Compost |
100 sq ft |
50-100 lbs |
800-1,600 oz |
| Mulch |
100 sq ft |
30-50 lbs |
480-800 oz |
Industrial and Manufacturing
Material Specifications
| Material Type |
Standard Unit (lbs) |
Standard Unit (oz) |
Industry Use |
| Steel sheet (16 gauge) |
2.5 lbs/sq ft |
40 oz/sq ft |
Construction |
| Aluminum sheet |
1.15 lbs/sq ft |
18.4 oz/sq ft |
Aerospace |
| Concrete (standard) |
150 lbs/cu ft |
2,400 oz/cu ft |
Building |
| Drywall (½ inch) |
2.0 lbs/sq ft |
32 oz/sq ft |
Interior walls |
Common Conversion Errors to Avoid
Frequent Mistakes
- Confusing troy and avoirdupois ounces
- ❌ Using 16 oz = 1 lb for precious metals
- ✅ Using 14.58 troy oz = 1 lb for gold/silver
- Mixing weight and fluid ounces
- ❌ Converting 1 lb = 16 fl oz (volume)
- ✅ Converting 1 lb = 16 oz (weight)
- Decimal precision errors
- ❌ 0.5 lbs = 7 oz (incorrect rounding)
- ✅ 0.5 lbs = 8 oz (exact conversion)
- Recipe scaling mistakes
- ❌ Scaling liquid and dry ingredients the same way
- ✅ Using weight for accuracy in baking
Professional Tips and Tricks
Quick Mental Math
For fast conversions:
- Multiply lbs by 16 to get ounces
- Divide oz by 16 to get pounds
- Quarter pound = 4 oz (burger reference)
- Half pound = 8 oz (common package size)
Kitchen Shortcuts
- 1 stick butter = 0.25 lbs = 4 oz
- 1 cup flour ≈ 0.25 lbs ≈ 4 oz
- 1 cup sugar ≈ 0.5 lbs ≈ 8 oz
- 1 cup liquid ≈ 0.5 lbs ≈ 8 oz (water)
International Context
Countries Using Pounds and Ounces
| Country |
Primary System |
Common Uses |
Notes |
| United States |
Imperial/US Customary |
Daily life, cooking, weight |
Primary system |
| United Kingdom |
Mixed (mostly metric) |
Body weight, food packaging |
Transitioning to metric |
| Canada |
Metric (official) |
Informal cooking, body weight |
Dual labeling common |
| Liberia |
Mixed |
Trade, some measurements |
Gradually adopting metric |
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: How many ounces are in a pound exactly?
A: Exactly 16 ounces make 1 pound in the avoirdupois system used for everyday weights.
Q: Is this the same for precious metals?
A: No! Precious metals use troy ounces. 1 pound = 14.58 troy ounces, not 16.
Q: Can I use this for cooking measurements?
A: Yes, this is perfect for cooking. 1 lb = 16 oz for all cooking ingredients by weight.
Q: What about fluid ounces vs weight ounces?
A: This converter is for weight ounces. Fluid ounces measure volume and depend on the liquid’s density.
Q: How precise should I be for different applications?
A: Cooking: 1 decimal place is fine. Shipping: whole ounces. Medical: consult professionals.
Related Conversion Tools
- Oz to Lbs Converter (reverse conversion)
- Kg to Lbs Converter (metric to imperial)
- Grams to Ounces (smaller metric units)
- Troy Ounces Calculator (precious metals)
- Fluid Ounces to Cups (liquid measurements)