What's heavier - a pound of feathers or a pound of gold?

g__day

Regular
How many folk get this right me wonders, and how many fall into either the simple or the none too obivous trap?

:)
 
If the pounds are pound-mass then the feathers will usually be lighter in weight (because they have lower density, buoyancy and all). Usually you don't want to give this answer in physics multiple choice questions though.
 
Which is the none-too-obvious one?

If I hit you in the face with a pound of feathers, you'll feel less pain then if hit with a pound of gold ;)
 
A pound is a pound. The pound of feathers will just be bigger than the pound of gold, simply because feathers have less mass so you'd have to compress them big time to get to the size of gold and keep the same weight.
 
Hate to tell you but we have two wrong answers so far!

Yes you can ignore air pressure, mass of air and buoyancy, but a subtle, no damn it very hard to spot error has crept into folks thinking here. The answer is likely to surprise, enlighten and possibly annoy you.

Before anyone ponders - no, it isn't some warped joke or anti-gravity theory...
 
Rather than keep you stewing I'll short circuit this and at least let you know the correct answer - see who can figure it out first...

Feathers is heavier - for none of the reasons discussed here so far.
 
g__day said:
Rather than keep you stewing I'll short circuit this and at least let you know the correct answer - see who can figure it out first...

Feathers is heavier - for none of the reasons discussed here so far.

uhm... enlighten us...?

I agree with Mfa, once you start arguing semantics, there is no correct answer.
 
g__day, you posted this in another board:

Pounds is a complex system, if you are weighing a precious metal in pounds you of course use Troy pounds and ounces. If you are weighing a common substance you use Anduvian pounds annd ounces. Anduvian pounds and ounces weigh more than Troy pounds and ounces. So a pound of gold weights significantly less than a pound of sand, water or feathers!

So if they taught you different in school well they're wrong!

As i said, semantics...

A pound of something will be the same as a pound of something else. If not, one of them is not a pound.

Once you start with weighting conventions people made, it's semantics and social differences. In physics, a pound or a kilo or whatever of something will weight the same as a pound or kilo of something else.
 
Actually the standards, not the meaning of words - so semantics is not the correct answer, standards are.

Yes surprise surprise precious metals are still weight in troy ounces and pounds - which are lighter than common ounces and pounds.

Wonders never cease huh?
 
It's easy, the gold has a different measure (1 pound = 31,1035 g), as opposed to Avoirdupois Weight of 1 pound = 453,59237 or Troy Pound which has 373,2417216 g.

Thanx Wikipedia :)

EDIT:
Why is it that someone's always 10 seconds faster? :(
 
g__day said:
Actually the standards, not the meaning of words - so semantics is not the correct answer, standards are.

The whole thing hinges on the semantic duality of the word "pound".
 
I don't like pounds.

What's heavier 1kg of apples or 1 kg of oranges?
NOTE: W = m*g.

W/apples = 1 * 9.8 = 9.8N
W/oranges = 1 * 9.8 = 9.8N
 
g__day said:
Actually the standards
Standards are contextual, only valid between those who agree to use them. This isn't even a formal standard though, just a convention.

The meaning of words is defined by majority rule.
 
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