Q. Which weighs more, a pound of feathers or a pound of gold? 




Ans. The answer is actually feathers. We need proof though! AND SO: From Joni- One pound of feathers is more than one pound of gold because the "pound" unit is different. The most commonly used system of weights in the US and Great Britain is the avoirdupois system, where 1 pound = 16 ounces. This is used for most solid objects, except for precious metals and gems; gold is weighed by a special system, called the troy system, where one troy pound = 12 troy ounces. Where one avoirdupois ounce is 28.35 grams, one troy ounce is about 31.10 grams. To convert from avoirdupois pounds to troy pounds, multiply the first by 1.2152 to get its equivalent in troy measurement. Therefore, one "pound" of feathers in troy weight is actually 1.2152 pounds (one avoirdupois pound), compared to one troy pound of gold. And the feathers win.