t TNT
ton of TNT
Energyexact by definition
The ton of TNT is defined by convention as exactly 10⁹ thermochemical calories, which is exactly 4.184 gigajoules. It is a defined energy unit, not a measurement: real TNT releases somewhere between 4.1 and 4.7 GJ per tonne depending on the conditions of the detonation, and the round number was chosen so that everyone's yield figures could be compared.
Watch out: The word ton here is a unit of energy, not of mass, and no quantity of explosive need be involved. Chemical accident and blast studies also use "TNT equivalent" mass, which is a different idea again: how much TNT would produce the same blast wave, which depends on the geometry as much as the chemistry.
| 1 t TNT | 4,184,000,000 J |
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