Weight units as decimals
A gram is a thousandth of a kg.
Grams and kilograms
We know that 1 kg = 1000 g.
How much of a kilogram is 1 g?
What this lesson covers
The idea
As 1 kg = 1000 g and 1 g = 1000 mg, a gram is 0.001 kg and a milligram is 0.001 g, so a weight in grams is written as thousandths of a kilogram.
Grams and kilograms
We know that 1 kg = 1000 g.
How much of a kilogram is 1 g?
- One-tenth of a kg
- One-hundredth of a kg
- One-thousandth of a kg
Set the scale
The bar is 1 kg, cut into 1000 g. Use the slider and the buttons to set each amount, and read it as a decimal.
Thousandths
Because 1 kg = 1000 g, 1 g is one-thousandth of a kg. A weight in grams is a number of thousandths of a kg.
As 1 kg = 1000 g and 1 g = 1000 mg, a gram is 0.001 kg and a milligram is 0.001 g. A weight in grams is written as thousandths of a kilogram.
- Weight | As a decimal
- 1 g | 0.001 kg
- 5 g | 0.005 kg
- 10 g | 0.010 kg
- 254 g | 0.254 kg
- 1 mg | 0.001 g
Notes
1 g = 0.001 kg and 1 mg = 0.001 g. A weight in grams is written as thousandths of a kilogram.
Check yourself
How many kg is 7 g?
Answer: 0.007 kg
7 g = 7/1000 kg = 0.007 kg.
How many kg is 450 g?
Answer: 0.45 kg
450 g = 450/1000 kg = 0.450 kg = 0.45 kg.
0.75 kg is how many g?
Answer: 750 g
0.75 kg = 0.750 kg = 750 g.
A packet weighs 60 g. How many kg is that?
- 0.060 kg — correct. Yes! 60 thousandths of a kg.
- 0.6 kg. 0.6 kg is 600 g.
- 0.006 kg. 0.006 kg is only 6 g.