If you are converting the weight of a real-life object, you can use a scale to weigh it. If you already know the weight in pounds, just write the number and label it "lbs".


Let's follow along with an example. Say that a newborn baby is weighed at the doctor's office and found to be exactly 10 pounds. We would start our conversion by writing 10 lbs on the paper.;
, This is the number of ounces in one pound.


In our example, we would multiply 10 × 16 to get 160.
 Writing "ounces" or "oz" next to your answer is important. If you don't, it won't be clear which units you converted to. If you're doing this work for school, you may even lose points for forgetting to label.


In our example, we would write our answer as either "160 ounces" or "160 oz." Both mean the same thing.
 Division is basically the "opposite" of multiplication. This means that dividing by the same number that you multiply by will "undo" your work. In other words, dividing a number of ounces by 16 will get you an answer in pounds.


In our example, dividing the baby's weight in ounces by 16 gets us 160/16 = 10 lbs. Don't forget the "pounds" label.
Write the number of pounds.
Multiply by 16.
Don't forget the "ounces" label.
Convert back to pounds by dividing by 16.
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