Gram (g)
Definition
A gram (symbol g) is a metric unit of mass equal to one thousandth of a kilogram. It is the most common unit in cooking, nutrition labeling, postage, and small-scale weighing.
History
The gram entered the metric system at its founding in 1795, when it was defined as the mass of one cubic centimeter of water at the melting point of ice. Although the kilogram quickly replaced it as the base unit, the gram remained the preferred working unit for everyday quantities.
Today the gram appears on nearly every nutrition label and recipe outside the United States and is the SI submultiple most used in retail. Since the 2019 SI revision it is defined as 0.001 × the kilogram, which itself is defined via the Planck constant.
Standard reference
Defined by the BIPM SI Brochure as 0.001 × the kilogram. Used by USDA FoodData Central as the primary mass unit for nutrient values.
Common conversions
| 1 g | = 0.001 kg |
|---|---|
| = 1,000 mg | |
| = 0.035274 oz | |
| = 0.00220462 lb |