Convert grams to kilograms

Gram

Definition: The gram (symbol: g) is a unit of mass in the metric system. Originally defined as "the absolute weight of a volume of pure water equal to the cube of the hundredth part of a metre, and at the temperature of melting ice" (later specified as 4 °C), it is now defined as one thousandth of the kilogram, the SI base unit of mass.

History/origin: The gram was initially defined during the French Revolution and was intended to be a more rational and standardized unit of mass. It was derived from the meter, which itself was based on the Earth's circumference. While the kilogram became the SI base unit, the gram remains a widely used unit for smaller masses.

Current use: The gram is commonly used in various fields, including cooking (for ingredients), commerce (for small items), and science (in chemistry and physics labs). It is a convenient unit for measuring objects and substances that do not require the larger scale of kilograms.

Kilogram

Definition: A kilogram (symbol: kg) is the base unit of mass in the International System of Units (SI). It is defined by taking the fixed numerical value of the Planck constant h to be 6.62607015×10⁻³⁴ when expressed in the unit J⋅s, which is equal to kg⋅m²⋅s⁻¹.

History/origin: The kilogram was originally defined in 1795 as the mass of one liter (cubic decimeter) of water. In 1799, a platinum artifact was fabricated to represent the kilogram. This artifact, known as the International Prototype of the Kilogram (IPK), was stored at the International Bureau of Weights and Measures (BIPM) in Sèvres, France.

For nearly 130 years, the kilogram was defined as exactly the mass of the IPK. However, in 2019, the kilogram was redefined in terms of the Planck constant, making it based on invariant constants of nature rather than a physical artifact that could change over time due to contamination or wear.

Current use: The kilogram is used globally as the standard unit of mass in science, commerce, and everyday life in most countries that have adopted the metric system. It's used for measuring the mass of objects ranging from groceries to industrial materials to scientific specimens.