Cups to Kilograms Conversion Calculator

How to Convert Cups to Kilograms

By

Joe Sexton

Joe is the creator of Inch Calculator and has over 20 years of experience in engineering and construction. He holds several degrees and certifications.

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Reviewed by

Ethan Dederick, PhD

Ethan has a PhD in astrophysics and is currently a satellite imaging scientist. He specializes in math, science, and astrophysics.

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Since cups are a unit of volume and kilograms are a unit of mass, which are different physical quantities, we need to know one more physical quantity of the ingredient or substance to convert between them. In this case, we need to account for the density of the substance whenever we do a conversion.

Therefore, to convert between cups and kilograms of an ingredient or substance, we must either multiply or divide by its density, depending on which direction we are performing the conversion.

Cups to Kilograms Formula

To convert a measurement in cups to kilograms, multiply the volume by the density of the ingredient, substance, or material. Note that in order for this to work, the density must be in kilograms per cup (kg/c).

If the density is given in grams per milliliter (g/mL), then first divide the density by 4.2268 to convert to kg/c.

For a density given in g/mL, you can use this simple formula to convert:

Thus, the weight in kilograms is equal to the volume in cups times the density (in g/mL) of the ingredient or material divided by 4.2268.

When to Convert Cups to Kilograms

Cups and kilograms are both commonly used to measure cooking ingredients.

For cooking applications, most chefs suggest measuring dry ingredients by weight rather than volume to improve accuracy in the measurements.^[1] The density of dry ingredients can vary for a variety of reasons, such as compaction and clumping.

The best way to ensure an accurate conversion is to use a scale. When a scale is not available, a calculator like the one above is a good way to estimate the volume to weight conversion.

Another useful application of weight and volume conversions is chemistry. When performing chemical reactions by combining separate chemicals to produce a new chemical, one must know the exact amount of each chemical to add in order to maximize the yield of the reaction.

It is common to mix powdered chemicals with liquid, or aqueous, chemicals, and this is where it becomes very useful to convert between weights and volumes.^[2]

A third application of weight and volume conversions is when shipping freight when calculating the volumetric weight for cargo and packages. Trucks, ships, and airplanes are limited in the amount of weight or volume they can transport, so if one of those quantities is known, but the limitation is on the other, then it becomes necessary to convert between the two so as not to overload the shipping vehicle.

Keep reading to learn more about each unit of measure.