What weighs 1 gram, 100 grams and 1 kilogram?
Everyday objects make great reference weights: for checking a scale, for a science class, or just to get a feel for how heavy 100 grams really is. Here are common items grouped by weight.
Things that weigh about 1 gram
- A standard metal paperclip
- A US dollar bill (any denomination)
- A sweetener packet
- A pen cap
- A quarter teaspoon of sugar
Things that weigh about 5 and 10 grams
| Item | Weight |
|---|---|
| US nickel | 5.0 g |
| Teaspoon of water | 5 g |
| Sugar cube | 3–5 g |
| 1 euro coin | 7.50 g |
| 2 euro coin | 8.50 g |
| Two US nickels | 10 g |
| AAA battery | about 11 g |
Things that weigh about 100 grams
- A typical bar of chocolate (many are sold as 100 g bars)
- A deck of playing cards (about 95–100 g)
- A peeled small banana
- 100 ml of water
- Four AA batteries (about 23 g each)
Things that weigh about 500 grams and 1 kilogram
| Item | Weight |
|---|---|
| A 500 ml bottle of water (contents) | 500 g |
| A pack of pasta | 500 g |
| 1 US pound of butter (4 sticks) | 454 g |
| 1 liter of water | 1 kg |
| A bag of sugar or flour | 1 kg in many countries |
| A pineapple | about 1 kg |
Using everyday items to check a scale
Coins and sealed packaged goods are the most consistent: coin weights are set by law, and package labels state the net contents. Paper and food vary more. For anything else, Scale For Grams can estimate the weight from a photo.
