Choose mass, stacked volume, or bulk stack density. Units include full cords, cubic meters, kg/m³, g/cm³, US short tons and metric tonnes. Use density measured over the entire stack, including its air spaces.
Cords to Tons Formula
The formula to convert cords to tons is as follows:
Variables:
- T is the wood mass in US short tons
- C is the volume of wood in cords
- D is the bulk stack density in pounds of wood per cubic foot of the entire stack, including air spaces
- 128 is the number of cubic feet in one cord of wood
- 2000 is the number of pounds in one US short ton
To calculate wood mass in US short tons, multiply full cords by 128, then by bulk stack density in lb/ft³, and divide by 2000. Solid-wood density describes a different volume basis and requires an air-space adjustment. One full cord is exactly 3.624556363776 m³; one US short ton is 0.90718474 metric tonnes.
| Cords | Short Tons (US) | Metric Tons (t) |
|---|---|---|
| 1/16 | 0.180 | 0.163 |
| ⅛ | 0.360 | 0.327 |
| 1/6 | 0.480 | 0.435 |
| ¼ | 0.720 | 0.653 |
| ⅓ | 0.960 | 0.871 |
| ⅜ | 1.080 | 0.980 |
| ½ | 1.440 | 1.306 |
| ⅝ | 1.800 | 1.633 |
| ⅔ | 1.920 | 1.742 |
| ¾ | 2.160 | 1.960 |
| ⅞ | 2.520 | 2.286 |
| 1 | 2.880 | 2.613 |
| 1¼ | 3.600 | 3.266 |
| 1⅓ | 3.840 | 3.484 |
| 1½ | 4.320 | 3.919 |
| 1¾ | 5.040 | 4.572 |
| 2 | 5.760 | 5.225 |
| 2½ | 7.200 | 6.532 |
| 3 | 8.640 | 7.838 |
| 4 | 11.520 | 10.451 |
| *Hypothetical bulk stack density of 45 lb/ft³, not a universal wood density. 1 cord = 128 ft³ including air spaces. Formula: US short tons = cords × 128 × bulk density ÷ 2000. 1 US short ton = 0.90718474 metric tonnes. | ||
What is a Cord of Wood?
A cord of wood is a unit of measure for wood volume. It is traditionally used to measure firewood and pulpwood in the United States and Canada. A full cord is defined as a stack of wood that is 4 feet high, 4 feet wide, and 8 feet long, totaling 128 cubic feet.
How to Calculate Tons from Cords?
The following steps outline how to calculate the weight of wood in tons from cords:
- First, determine the volume of wood in cords (C).
- Next, determine bulk stack density (D) in pounds of wood per cubic foot of the wood-plus-airspace stack.
- Use the formula T = (C * 128 * D) / 2000 to calculate the weight in tons (T).
- Finally, enter the values into the calculator above to verify the result.
Example Problem:
Use the following variables as an example problem to test your knowledge.
Volume of wood in cords (C) = 2 cords
Hypothetical bulk stack density (D) = 50 lb/ft³. With 2 cords, the result is 6.4 US short tons (about 5.80598 metric tonnes).
