Grams to kilograms converter

Convert grams to kilograms (grams to kg) with the exact factor, a conversion chart and worked steps.

Drafted with AI writing toolsUpdated Checked examples: 3

g
Try
Kilograms
kg
Kilograms: 0.5 kg
Significant figures: 12; Nearest, ties away from zero
Conversion
500 g = 0.5 kg
1 kg in grams
1,000g

500 g is about 0.5 kg. In the other direction, 1 kg ≈ 1,000 g.

Grams to kilograms

0241,0002,0003,0004,0005,000gkg500 → 0.5
Grams to kg chart Rows: 12
GramsKilograms
10.001
100.01
500.05
1000.1
2000.2
2500.25
5000.5
7500.75
10001
15001.5
20002
50005
How it's calculated S
  1. Conversion factor

    1 g=0.001 kg1\ \text{g} = 0.001\ \text{kg}

    Exact by definition.

  2. Multiply

    500×0.001=0.5 kg500 \times 0.001 = 0.5\ \text{kg}

About the grams to kilograms converter

To convert grams to kilograms, multiply by 0.001; to convert back, multiply by 1,000. For example, 500 g is about 0.5 kg. Displayed factors and results may be rounded.

Gram amounts commonly come from ingredient labels, kitchen scales and small parcels. When a shipping form or stock record expects a larger unit, preserve amounts below one whole unit as decimals. The conversion changes the label and number together; it does not change how much material you have.

gram: 1 g = 1/1,000 kg. The kilogram is the SI base unit of mass.

Both units are defined exactly. Calculations use 50 significant digits and round only for display.

How to convert grams to kilograms

Divide grams by 1,000 to get kilograms, which moves the decimal point three places to the left. 1,000 g = 1 kg, 500 g = 0.5 kg and 1 g = 0.001 kg. Use it when a shipping form, label or recipe asks for kilograms but your scale reads grams.

Why 1,000 grams make a kilogram

The prefix kilo means one thousand (NIST), so the factor is exact. The kilogram, not the gram, is the SI base unit of mass (BIPM).

Moving the decimal point by hand

Count three places left from the end of the gram figure. If you run out of digits, add zeros in front:

  • 1,250 g → 1.250 → 1.25 kg
  • 75 g → 0.075 → 0.075 kg
  • 5 g → 0.005 → 0.005 kg, not 0.5 kg

Every digit stays in the answer: 1,005 g is 1.005 kg and 1,050 g is 1.05 kg. Half a gram is 0.0005 kg, and a third of a gram is 0.000333333333333 kg, with the 3s repeating forever.

Grams to kilograms chart

Grams (g)Kilograms (kg)
0.50.0005
10.001
100.01
500.05
1000.1
2500.25
5000.5
7500.75
10001
12501.25
15001.5
25002.5

Anything under 1,000 g is less than a kilogram, so keep the leading zero: 50 g is 0.05 kg and 500 g is 0.5 kg.

Totals for shipping forms and recipes

Add the gram amounts first and convert the total once: 350 g + 425 g = 775 g, or 0.775 kg. Three 250 g packs are 750 g, or 0.75 kg.

To weigh food in a bowl, subtract the empty bowl before converting. A 1,250 g reading with a 180 g bowl leaves 1,070 g of food, which is 1.07 kg.

An amount written in kilograms and grams goes to grams first: 2 kg 75 g is 2,000 + 75 = 2,075 g, or 2.075 kg.

Common mistakes

  • Moving the point two places. 500 g is 0.5 kg. Dividing by 100 gives 5, which would mean 5 kg.
  • Dropping a zero. 1,050 g is 1.05 kg; 1.5 kg would be 1,500 g.
  • Reporting digits the scale cannot measure. A scale accurate to ±2 g is accurate to ±0.002 kg, so three decimal places in kilograms is the most it supports.
  • Treating milliliters as grams. Milliliters measure volume. They match grams only for water, at about 1 g per mL; flour, oil and honey need their density.

For the reverse direction, use kg to grams. For pounds, use grams to pounds. The weight converter handles ounces and milligrams, and it accepts a typed unit such as 1250 g.

Worked examples

500 g to kg

Grams (g)
500 g
Kilograms
0.5 kg

Checked against: Exact-fraction computation from the legal unit definitions

200 g to kg

Grams (g)
200 g
Kilograms
0.2 kg

Checked against: Exact-fraction computation from the legal unit definitions

2000 g to kg

Grams (g)
2000 g
Kilograms
2 kg

Checked against: Exact-fraction computation from the legal unit definitions

Questions

Is 500 g half a kilogram?

Yes. Divide 500 by 1,000 to get 0.5 kg. When adding several gram amounts for a shipping total, add them first and divide the combined total once; do not round each small item to a whole kilogram.

How many kilograms are in one gram?

1 g is about 0.001 kg. gram: 1 g = 1/1,000 kg. The kilogram is the SI base unit of mass.

How do I convert grams to kilograms?

Multiply by 0.001: 500 g × 0.001 ≈ 0.5 kg. To convert back, divide by the same factor. The factor shown may be rounded.

About this calculator

kg=g×0.001\text{kg} = \text{g} \times 0.001

Sources

  1. NIST SP 811 (2008), Guide for the Use of the International System of Units, Appendix B
  2. NIST Handbook 44, Appendix C: General tables of units of measurement
  3. BIPM, The International System of Units (SI Brochure), 9th edition

Checked against references

This calculator includes 3 worked examples with independently sourced answers. They run in the test suite, and you can run them here too.

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