Mass
is the amount of matter that
makes up an object.
Gram
(g) is a metric unit used to measure the mass of small objects.
Kilogram
(kg) is equal to 1,000 grams, so it is used to measure the mass of larger
objects.
A paperclip has a
mass of about 1 gram
A
book has a mass of about 1 kilogram
Metric
Units of Mass
Name
Abbreviation
Number
of Base Units
Approximate
Comparison
Gram
g
1
mass
of a small grape
Kilogram
kg
1,000
mass
of a cantaloupe
Conversions
The
chart above shows the relationships between the units of
grams and kilograms. You can use the chart to
change a measurement from one unit to another unit.
How
many grams are in a 3 kilograms?
You
can change from kilograms to grams by multiplying.
3
kg= ___ g
Think:
1 kg = 1000 g
3
x 1000 = 3000
3
kg = 3000 grams
How
many grams are in 5,000 kg?
You
can change from grams to kilograms by dividing.
5000
g = ___ kg
Think:
1000 g = 1 kg
5000
divided by 1000 = 5
5000
g = 5 kg
Remember:
To measure an object that
has a small mass, use grams.
To measure an object that
has a larger mass, use kilograms.
