Final answer:
To convert pounds to tons, you divide the number of pounds by 2,000, the number of pounds in one ton. For example, 6,200 pounds is 3.1 tons. When converting tons to pounds, multiply the number of tons by 2,000, like 5 tons equaling 10,000 pounds.
Step-by-step explanation:
To convert pounds to tons, we need to determine whether to multiply or divide. Because a ton is a larger unit than a pound, we divide the number of pounds by the number of pounds in a ton. The unit equivalence shows that 1 ton equals 2,000 pounds.
For example, to convert 6,200 pounds to tons, we divide 6,200 by the unit equivalence:
6,200 ÷ 2,000 = 3.1 tons
When you have fractional answers or non-whole numbers, such as 3.1 tons, the .1 represents 200 pounds, since 1/10 of a ton is 200 pounds.
Similarly, to find out how many pounds are in 5 tons, you multiply the number of tons by the unit equivalence:
5 × 2,000 = 10,000 pounds