How does the Weight & Mass Converter work?
Each unit is converted into the base unit kilogram via a fixed factor, then into your target unit. So 1 lb = 0.45359237 kg and 1 oz = 28.349523125 g. Example: 75 kg is 75 ÷ 0.45359237 ≈ 165.3 lb.
Background & details
How to use the result
The converter gives exact values, but a rule of thumb is usually enough: kg × 2.2 = lb. For body weight that is precise enough: 80 kg ≈ 176 lb. In the UK, body weight is traditionally given in stone and pounds – "11 stone 4" is 11 × 14 + 4 = 158 lb, so about 71.7 kg. This mixed notation often confuses people but is standard in British everyday life.
Which unit for what?
- Kilograms, grams, milligrams are the global standard – for food, parcels, medicine.
- Pounds and ounces are used in US recipes (16 oz = 1 lb), shipping weights and body weight in the US.
- Tonne usually means the metric tonne (1000 kg). Watch out: the US "short ton" is only 907 kg, and the UK "long ton" is 1016 kg.
Common mistakes
The biggest trap in recipes is the ounce: the weight ounce (28.35 g) is not the same as the fluid ounce (a volume). 8 oz of flour weighs differently from 8 fl oz of milk. Equally tricky is the pound. The avoirdupois lb is 453.6 g, while the old German or Swiss colloquial "Pfund" is 500 g. At a deli counter a pound may mean half a kilo, but in a US recipe it does not.
Practical tips
For cooking, a small table helps: 100 g ≈ 3.5 oz, 250 g ≈ 8.8 oz, 500 g ≈ 1.1 lb. Baby weights in the US are given in lb and oz – 7 lb 8 oz is 3.40 kg. In the gym, plates are often labelled in lb: a 45 lb plate weighs 20.4 kg and a 25 lb plate 11.3 kg.
When this tool is not the right one: precious metals are traded in troy ounces (31.1 g), not regular ounces – a gold price "per ounce" always means troy. For volume (litres, gallons) you also need a different converter; only with water does 1 litre happen to equal 1 kg, but not for oil or flour.