Convert decigrams to kilograms

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1 dg equals 0.0001 kg, because a kilogram is made up of 10,000 decigrams. Type the number of decigrams and the answer in kilograms appears as you type. The field also takes a comma as the decimal mark, fractions such as 3/4 and values pasted with a unit symbol.

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What is a decigram?

A decigram is one tenth of a gram: 0.1 g, or 100 mg. Its name joins the gram with the prefix deci-, which means one-tenth, so its symbol is dg[1]. It is the same deci- you find in the decimeter and the deciliter.


The kilogram is the SI base unit of mass[2], and it is four powers of ten larger than the decigram. That is why one decigram is one ten-thousandth of a kilogram.


You will meet the decigram in science and math classes that teach the metric prefixes in order, from kilo down to milli. In a lab, a balance that reads to 0.1 g is sometimes called a decigram balance, because its last digit counts decigrams.

Black digital scale with coffee beans in a white bowl, the display reading 9.9 g
This coffee scale reads 9.9 g, which is 99 dg. The single digit after the decimal point steps one decigram at a time, and the beans weigh 0.0099 kg. Photo: User_Pascal, Unsplash.

How do you convert decigrams to kilograms?

Divide the number of decigrams by 10,000. For example, 2,500 dg divided by 10,000 gives 0.25 kg.


Formula: kilograms = decigrams ÷ 10,000


The 10,000 comes from two steps. There are 10 decigrams in a gram and 1,000 grams in a kilogram, and 10 × 1,000 is 10,000.


To do it in your head, move the decimal point four places to the left. 750 dg becomes 0.075 kg, and 99 dg becomes 0.0099 kg. When you run out of digits, fill the gap with zeros, as in the second example.


For the opposite direction, which multiplies by 10,000, use the kg to dg converter.

How does the decigram compare with other metric mass units?

Each unit in this table is ten times smaller than the one above it. A common way to remember the order is the sentence King Henry Died By Drinking Chocolate Milk: kilo, hecto, deka, base unit, deci, centi, milli[3].
UnitSymbolIn gramsIn kilograms
Kilogramkg1,000 g1 kg
Hectogramhg100 g0.1 kg
Dekagramdag10 g0.01 kg
Gramg1 g0.001 kg
Decigramdg0.1 g0.0001 kg
Centigramcg0.01 g0.00001 kg
Milligrammg0.001 g0.000001 kg
NIST spells the prefix for ten as deka[1], so the unit ten grams heavy appears on its chart as the dekagram. The decigram and the dekagram differ by one letter in their symbols, dg and dag, but a dekagram is 100 times heavier. To convert milligrams, use the mg to kg converter.

How many kilograms are 100 dg, 1,000 dg and 10,000 dg?

The table starts at one decigram and ends at 100,000 dg. Grams and milligrams sit next to the kilograms, since homework often asks for the answer in one of those units too.
DecigramsKilogramsGramsMilligrams
1 dg0.0001 kg0.1 g100 mg
2 dg0.0002 kg0.2 g200 mg
5 dg0.0005 kg0.5 g500 mg
10 dg0.001 kg1 g1,000 mg
25 dg0.0025 kg2.5 g2,500 mg
50 dg0.005 kg5 g5,000 mg
75 dg0.0075 kg7.5 g7,500 mg
99 dg0.0099 kg9.9 g9,900 mg
100 dg0.01 kg10 g10,000 mg
150 dg0.015 kg15 g15,000 mg
250 dg0.025 kg25 g25,000 mg
500 dg0.05 kg50 g50,000 mg
750 dg0.075 kg75 g75,000 mg
1,000 dg0.1 kg100 g100,000 mg
2,500 dg0.25 kg250 g250,000 mg
5,000 dg0.5 kg500 g500,000 mg
7,500 dg0.75 kg750 g750,000 mg
10,000 dg1 kg1,000 g1,000,000 mg
20,000 dg2 kg2,000 g2,000,000 mg
25,000 dg2.5 kg2,500 g2,500,000 mg
50,000 dg5 kg5,000 g5,000,000 mg
100,000 dg10 kg10,000 g10,000,000 mg
The highlighted row is exactly one kilogram. If your answer is already in grams, the g to kg converter takes it from there.

Which number formats does this converter handle?

The field accepts and converts every one of these, so there is nothing to fix before you paste. The table shows what the converter does with each one, and the converter worked out the results itself.
What you typeWhat the converter showsNote
2.50.00025 kgA decimal point, written the way English writes decimals.
2,50.00025 kgA comma followed by one digit is read as a decimal comma, the way a European worksheet writes it.
1,5000.15 kgThree digits follow the comma, so we read it as a thousands separator and count one thousand five hundred decigrams. A note under the field shows the other possible reading, 1.5.
3/40.000075 kgWe work out the fraction ourselves, so there is no need to turn it into 0.75 first.
2½0.00025 kgThe ½ character copied from a worksheet is added to the number in front of it.
25 dg0.0025 kgThe dg symbol pasted with the number is the unit of the field, so we keep just the number.
5 g0.005 kgGrams pasted into the field become 50 dg first, and a line under the field tells you so.
250 mg0.00025 kgMilligrams pasted into the field become 2.5 dg first, so the answer is not ten times too big.

How do you convert decigrams to kilograms in Excel?

A spreadsheet can do it with plain division or with a built-in function that knows the metric prefixes. These steps cover both.

  1. Put the decigrams in a column

    Say the first value is in cell A1. Type the rest below it, so you can drag the formula from the next step down the whole list.

  2. Divide the cell by 10,000

    In the next cell, type =A1/10000. For 99 dg the sheet shows 0.0099, and for 2,500 dg it shows 0.25.

  3. Or use the CONVERT function

    Its syntax is CONVERT(number, from_unit, to_unit), and it writes the prefix deci as "d"[4]. The whole conversion reads =CONVERT(A1,"dg","kg").

Convert other units to Kilograms

lb to kgg to kgmg to kgmcg to kgounces to kilogramsstone to kgtons to kilograms

Sources

  1. Metric (SI) Prefixes — National Institute of Standards and Technology
  2. SI base unit: kilogram (kg) — International Bureau of Weights and Measures (BIPM)
  3. List of mnemonics — Wikipedia
  4. CONVERT function — Microsoft
  5. Metric prefix — Wikipedia
  6. NIST Guide to the SI, Appendix B.8: Factors for Units Listed Alphabetically — National Institute of Standards and Technology

Every figure in the tables was computed from the unit definitions and checked arithmetically before publication. Historical values and the names of local units come from the sources listed above.

Content last reviewed: · written and checked by the Arteon team

Frequently asked questions about decigrams and kilograms

Is the decigram actually used?

Yes, but rarely. It is a valid SI unit, yet everyday practice prefers the prefixes that step by a thousand, such as kilo and milli, and keeps deci, deka, centi and hecto mostly for informal use[5]. The centimeter is the big exception.

Is a decigram bigger than a milligram?

Yes. One decigram is 100 milligrams, so it is a hundred times heavier. It is also ten times heavier than a centigram.

How many decigrams are in an ounce?

About 283.5 dg. NIST gives one avoirdupois ounce as 28.34952 g[6], and each gram holds 10 decigrams. In kilograms the same ounce is about 0.02835 kg.

How do you write 1 dg in kilograms with a power of ten?

1 dg is 1 × 10⁻⁴ kg, because dividing by 10,000 moves the number four places. In grams the same decigram is 1 × 10⁻¹ g.

Arteon free tool screenshot: Convert decigrams to kilograms

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