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Measurement › Weight & volume
Weight & volume
Two different things, often confused. Weight is heaviness. Volume is the space something takes up.
Unit converter
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Weight (or mass)
- 1 g — a paperclip.
- 1 kg — a small pineapple. 1000 grams.
- 1 t (metric ton) — a small car. 1000 kilograms.
Volume
- 1 ml — about 20 drops of water.
- 1 l — a juice carton. 1000 ml.
Water makes them line up
One milliliter of water weighs one gram. So one liter of water weighs one kilogram. The metric system was designed around water — that's why the conversions are clean.
Mass vs weight
In everyday speech we say "weight," but on the moon you have the same mass as on Earth — your weight (the force pulling you down) is less. For most school math the difference doesn't matter.