12 Common Things That Weigh 1 Gram

Introduction

Gram is a very common unit, measuring only a single gram is very rare. Because one gram is very lightweight. But it is useful as well, especially in the pharmaceuticals and medical fields.

You will be surprised to know that there are so many common items around you that actually weigh just a gram! And these can be used to estimate one-gram weight while there's no scale available.

So keep scrolling down to learn about some of those items that weigh 1 gram. But before that let’s have a glimpse at the conversion of a gram into other common units.

Gram and Conversion of a Gram

The term “gram” actually came from the Latin “gramma” word, which means ‘small weight’. It abbreviates as “g”. 1 gram is equivalent to 0.0353 dry ounces and 0.002 pounds. In the reverse way,

1 lb = 453.6 g
1 oz = 28.35 g

Although technically a gram is used to calculate unit mass, not for weight. But popularly it is used as a unit of weight worldwide.

1. A Paper Clip

These can be an ever-popular example of gram measurement. Paperclips are very common items that we can easily find in offices or student supplies. You can get them in different shapes, sizes, and colors. A standard-sized paper clip weighs about a gram.

These paper clips are generally made of thin metal rods or sometimes plastic as well. And comes in different size boxes.

We generally use it to hold papers, but as you know the weight of a single paper clip you can gather more of these to make other measuring units. For instance, a ten-gram weight with ten paper clips. 

2. One-quarter teaspoon of sugar

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From our household items, we can use one-quarter or 1/4 of a teaspoon of regular sugar for a 1-gram weight. But this is for only regular fine-grain sugar.

As sugar has other varieties such as brown sugar or raw sugar or confectioners. So depending on the density, the weight will be more or less. But a similar example can be a pinch of salt or ¼ of a teaspoon of the all-purpose floor.

3. A US dollar bill

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The weight of any US dollar bill will be around 1 gram. Be it a one-dollar or a 100-dollar, you’ll get the same weight. So, how much can it weigh if you take ten such notes? Exactly ten grams, which can be another weight reference to use.

However, I especially mentioned the US dollar, because currencies in other countries may not weigh the same. It will vary depending on the dimension and material it is made of.

4. Cap of a Ball pen

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We may usually guess how much a pen might weigh. Because it has a fairly good weight. But have you ever thought about the weight of your pen cap? It is very light compared to a pen. And the weight of a pen cap is approximately 1 gram. This weight is only limited to standard ball pens like Bic pens or any average pen we commonly use and cannot be applied to all pen caps.

5. A small size birthday candle

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We all are familiar with the small colorful spiral birthday candles that come in packs. But do know these candles can weigh about just a single gram? Yes, these candles are around 1 gram each, preferably not used though.

In general, these candles are 2-inch small and commonly used on birthday cakes. You can imagine how small weight a gram is just by holding these candles.

6. A single piece of Thumbtack

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Nearly everyone is familiar with thumbtacks just like a candle. From home to office, this is one of the common items. These are tiny in size and average plain thumbtacks weigh almost 1 gram each. This weight is for standard-size thumbtacks. Weight can vary with different sizes. Large thumbtacks depending on design and material can weigh a little bit more.

Wondering how to compare larger weights such as 10 pounds or 20 pounds? Well, we have got you!

7. One Raisin

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The weight of plain brown raisins can also be around one gram each. Well, this is an average estimation. Because not every raisin will weigh the same.

Raisins are basically grapes that have been dried, so the weight depends on the type of grape. As the size of every grape is not the same, each raisin also weighs differently. Besides the size, different grapes create different flavors and textures in the raisins.

8. One stick of chewing gum

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If you never noticed the weight of a single raisin, you can take a stick of gums as an example too. Gum sticks are usually long and thin. And a piece of gum is very light which weighs about one gram.

This long stick of chewing gum commonly comes in packs of multiple sticks. These sticks are one of our sweetest old-school memories. And interestingly, after all these years, the size of these sticks is exactly the same as before.

This article is exclusively written for MeasurementOf.

9. A Piece of Paper towel

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Another very common and popular household product is paper towels. They come in rolls. But can you guess how much each piece of a paper roll can weigh? It is nearly 1 gram.

As they are cheap, versatile, and easy to find, you can easily get one piece of paper towel to get a one-gram weight estimation. Paper towels are best for cleaning up liquids and messes. They are also good for cleaning up surfaces.

10. Silica Gel Packets

Photo from Amazon

Silica gel packets are a type of air freshener. These packets come along with our purchases. From new bags to shoes, there are always free packets of silica gel.

These packets are full of silicon dioxide beads that absorb smells and oils from the air. They come in different shapes and sizes. Typically, the packets that come along with our bought products are small and weigh approximately 1 gram.

You will also find these packets on amazon in different packet sizes including half a gram, 1 gram, 2 grams, 5 grams, and so on.

11. Ten Toothpicks

Another interesting item that weigh 1 gram is toothpicks. They are great for picking up small pieces of food or for stirring something. A normal-sized toothpick weighs approximately 0.1 grams. So if we combined ten toothpicks, we will get almost 1 gram of weight.

A single toothpick has very little weight. But as we mentioned before combining these objects can be helpful to make a larger weight or unit mass.

12. Butterfly

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You will be surprised to know the weight of a butterfly. That is why I added this to our list.

The average weight of a female butterfly is 0.53 grams and for a male butterfly, it's 0.50 grams. So naturally, if you hold two little cute butterflies they will actually weigh about a gram.

Conclusion

Though one gram is not that common in measurement. But this measurement can be a handful while measuring other unit mass. Like the above examples, there are so many other objects too that may weigh a single gram.

You can also use many common objects to get height or length reference for a foot or some other height. These reference objects come in handy when you need to measure something but don't have the right tools at your disposal.