Weight Converter
Convert between kilograms, pounds, ounces, grams, stone, and tonnes - instantly.
About the Weight Converter
Weight conversions appear in everyday life far more frequently than most people notice. Cooking recipes from international sources use pounds and ounces; pharmaceutical dosing is in milligrams and grams; shipping logistics works in kilograms and tonnes; gold and silver trading in India uses grams and tolas; and body weight is quoted differently across geographies - kilograms in India, stone and pounds in the UK, pounds in the US. A single reliable converter handles all of these immediately.
India officially uses kilograms for weight, and the Legal Metrology Act mandates metric units for trade. However, traditional units persist in specific domains. Gold jewelry is priced per gram but sometimes weighed in tolas (1 tola = approximately 10 grams in common modern usage, though the traditional measure is 11.66 g). Agricultural commodities are traded in quintals (100 kg) and metric tonnes. Imported recipes use pounds and ounces. Each context requires a different conversion approach.
In healthcare and fitness, accurate weight conversion is particularly important. Pediatric medication dosages are weight-based, and prescriptions written in a country using pounds need to be converted to kilograms before dosing an Indian child. Nutritional labels in India display values per 100 grams but US labels show per serving in ounces. Gym equipment imported from the US may show weights in pounds. Having a reliable reference for all weight units reduces error risk in contexts where accuracy genuinely matters.
Weight Conversion Reference
1 kilogram = 1,000 grams = 2.205 pounds · 1 pound = 453.6 grams = 16 ounces · 1 metric tonne = 1,000 kg
1 troy ounce (gold) = 31.1035 grams · 1 stone (UK) = 14 pounds = 6.35 kg · Traditional Indian: 1 tola = 11.66 grams (used in gold) · 1 quintal = 100 kg · 1 maund = 37.32 kg (varies by region)
Worked Example
International recipe calls for 2.5 cups butter, package in grams
2.5 cups x 227 g = 567.5 grams = 1.25 pounds = 20 ounces
Tips & Insights
- 1
Gold jewelry in India is priced per gram. When a jeweler quotes a price per tola, verify using 1 tola = 10 g (modern standard). For gold futures and international prices quoted per troy ounce, use the exact conversion: 1 troy ounce = 31.1035 g.
- 2
Agricultural commodity prices on NCDEX and MCX are quoted per quintal (100 kg) or per metric tonne (1,000 kg). To compare with international prices quoted per bushel or short ton, convert to kg first - 1 short ton = 907.2 kg (not 1,000 kg).
- 3
Aviation and international shipping use kilograms universally. If your body weight is recorded in pounds from a foreign fitness app, divide by 2.205 to get kilograms for airline check-in and visa applications.
- 4
Pediatric medication dosages are weight-based - always record and use body weight in kilograms for dose calculations, even if the last reading was in pounds from a foreign hospital. A dose in mg/kg applied to lb instead of kg creates a 2.2x error.
- 5
Body weight in the UK is commonly expressed in stone and pounds (1 stone = 14 pounds = 6.35 kg). A person who weighs 11 stone 4 lb weighs 71.7 kg. When comparing with UK health guidelines or BMI tables expressed in stone, this converter removes the mental arithmetic.
- 6
In cooking, 1 cup of different ingredients has very different weights. 1 cup water = 240 g; 1 cup flour = 120-130 g; 1 cup butter = 227 g. Recipes using cups are volumetric, not weight-based - use a kitchen scale in grams for precision baking rather than relying on cup measurements.
- 7
Quintal is the standard unit in Indian wholesale markets and government MSP (Minimum Support Price) announcements. 1 quintal = 100 kg. To compare MSP with global commodity benchmarks (typically in USD per metric tonne), multiply the quintal price by 10 and convert at the current exchange rate.
Why this matters for you
Weight unit errors in healthcare are among the most dangerous unit conversion mistakes. A medication ordered in mg/lb that is administered using a kg-based dose is a 2.2x overdose. Every year, medical errors involving unit confusion - including weight - cause preventable harm. Understanding the relationship between kg and pounds is essential for any caregiver, parent, or patient navigating international medical records or imported medical devices.
In commerce and manufacturing, weight unit errors translate directly into financial losses. Import duty, shipping cost, and ingredient procurement pricing all depend on accurate weight in the correct unit. An invoice that confuses metric tonnes with short tons (1 short ton = 907 kg, not 1,000 kg) understates the quantity by 9.3%. At industrial scale, this discrepancy represents significant value. Accurate weight conversion is a basic commercial competency.
For the growing number of Indians following international fitness programs, cooking international recipes, or purchasing from global e-commerce platforms, weight unit fluency is an everyday need. A protein supplement showing serving size in ounces, a recipe specifying butter in pounds, or a fitness goal set in pounds all require straightforward conversion. Rather than approximating, using exact conversions avoids the cumulative errors that undermine precision in cooking, training, and health tracking.
Related Calculators
Length
Convert between meters, kilometers, miles, feet, inches, yards, and more - instantly.
Volume
Convert between liters, gallons, milliliters, cups, pints, quarts, teaspoons, and more.
Area
Convert between square meters, acres, hectares, square feet, square miles, and more.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many pounds in a kilogram?+
1 kilogram = 2.20462 pounds. 1 pound = 0.453592 kilograms. A quick approximation: 1 kg ≈ 2.2 lb.
How many ounces in a pound?+
Exactly 16 ounces in 1 pound. 1 ounce = 28.3495 grams.
What is a stone in weight?+
Stone is a unit of weight used in the UK and Ireland. 1 stone = 14 pounds = 6.35029 kilograms. Body weight is commonly expressed in stone and pounds in the UK.
How many grams in a kilogram?+
Exactly 1,000 grams in a kilogram. 1 gram = 0.001 kg. 1 milligram = 0.001 g = 0.000001 kg.
What is the difference between mass and weight?+
In everyday usage, mass and weight are used interchangeably, but physically they differ: Mass is the amount of matter in an object (measured in kg, grams) and is constant everywhere. Weight is the force of gravity on that mass (measured in Newtons) and varies by location. On the Moon (1/6 Earth gravity), a 60 kg person weighs 100 Newtons instead of 600 Newtons on Earth - but their mass remains 60 kg. Bathroom scales measure weight (force) but display it as mass assuming standard Earth gravity. For everyday purposes, 1 kg = 2.205 lb = 35.27 oz. 1 stone = 14 pounds = 6.35 kg.
How do food weight measurements work in Indian cooking?+
Indian recipes use a mix of weight and volume measurements depending on the ingredient. Dry spices and flour are typically measured by weight (grams) for accuracy in baking or by volume (teaspoon, tablespoon, cup) for everyday cooking. A standard cup in Indian cooking is approximately 240 ml. Common weight equivalents for Indian cooking: 1 cup rice (raw) approximately 200g, 1 cup atta (wheat flour) approximately 120g, 1 cup sugar approximately 200g, 1 cup ghee approximately 220g, 1 tablespoon oil approximately 14g, 1 teaspoon salt approximately 5g. For precision baking - cakes, bread - weight measurements are far more reliable than volume because ingredient density varies with packing and ambient humidity. A weighing scale is a worthwhile investment for consistent results, especially for dal-makhni, biryani rice ratios, and Indian sweets where proportions matter.
What is the difference between weight and force in everyday contexts?+
In everyday Indian usage (and globally), weight and mass are used interchangeably. A person 'weighing' 70 kg means their body mass is 70 kg. Scientifically, weight is the gravitational force on that mass: force = mass x gravitational acceleration (9.8 m/s squared at Earth's surface), so 70 kg mass has a weight of 686 Newtons. In other words, kg (kilogram) is a unit of mass, not force - but we use it for 'weight' by convention because gravity is approximately constant at Earth's surface. Practical implication: a 10 kg bag of rice weighed on a scale at sea level in Mumbai and at 3,500 metres altitude in Leh reads slightly differently on a spring scale (due to lower gravity at altitude) but the same on a balance scale (which compares masses). For cooking, nutrition, and everyday commerce, this distinction is irrelevant - 1 kg of rice is 1 kg regardless of where you are.