kilogram (kg)
1 kilogram = 1,000 grams
What is kilogram?
The kilogram is the SI base unit of mass. It is used globally as the standard for measuring weight and mass in science, industry, trade, and everyday life.
Notes: Base unit for mass
Real-world uses
The kilogram is the SI base unit of mass, used universally in science, commerce, and daily life outside the US. Grocery items, body weight in medical settings, and shipping weights are measured in kilograms across most of the world.
History
Originally defined in 1795 as the mass of one litre of water at 4°C. A platinum-iridium cylinder served as the standard from 1889 until 2019, when the kilogram was redefined in terms of the Planck constant, ending reliance on a physical artefact.
Common mistakes
Confusing mass (kg) with weight (newtons)—a kilogram measures mass, not force. Also, assuming 1 kg equals exactly 2 pounds; it is actually about 2.205 pounds.
When is this conversion used?
Body weight, grocery items, and luggage limits are commonly expressed in kilograms in most countries and pounds in the US and UK, making this one of the most frequently needed mass conversions. Cooking recipes and food packaging often switch between grams and ounces, especially when adapting recipes from different culinary traditions.
How to convert kilogram to gram
To convert kilogram to gram, multiply the value by 1,000.
Conversion formula (from base unit)
x * 1.0
Measurement standards
The kilogram is defined by fixing the Planck constant to exactly 6.62607015 × 10⁻³⁴ joule-seconds, as established at the 26th General Conference on Weights and Measures in 2018. This ended the last SI definition based on a physical artefact.
Did you know?
The International Prototype of the Kilogram, a platinum-iridium cylinder stored near Paris since 1889, was found to have drifted by about 50 micrograms relative to its copies over a century — roughly the mass of a fingerprint.
| kilograms | grams |
|---|---|
| 0.1 | 100 |
| 0.5 | 500 |
| 1 | 1,000 |
| 2 | 2,000 |
| 5 | 5,000 |
| 10 | 10,000 |
| 25 | 25,000 |
| 50 | 50,000 |
| 100 | 100,000 |
| 250 | 250,000 |
| 500 | 500,000 |
| 1,000 | 1,000,000 |
Common values
| kilograms | grams | |
|---|---|---|
| A paperclip | 0.001 kilograms | 1 gram |
| A smartphone | 0.175 kilograms | 175 grams |
| A bag of sugar | 1 kilogram | 1,000 grams |
| Average adult human | 70 kilograms | 70,000 grams |
| A small car | 1,200 kilograms | 1,200,000 grams |
Full kilogram conversion table
| Unit | Value | Factor |
|---|---|---|
| gram | 1 kg = 1,000 g | × 1,000 |
| pound | 1 kg = 2.20462262 lb | × 2.20462262 |
| ounce | 1 kg = 35.27396195 oz | × 35.27396195 |
| tonne | 1 kg = 0.001 t | × 0.001 |
| milligram | 1 kg = 1,000,000 mg | × 1,000,000 |
| microgram | 1 kg = 999,999,999.99999988 µg | × 999,999,999.99999988 |
| stone | 1 kg = 0.15747304 st | × 0.15747304 |
| short ton (US) | 1 kg = 0.00110231 short ton | × 0.00110231 |
| long ton (UK) | 1 kg = 0.00098421 long ton | × 0.00098421 |