Cups to Kilograms Conversion Calculator

Enter the volume in cups below to calculate the weight in kilograms.

c
Swap Units

Result in Kilograms:

Loading content.
1 c = 0.236588236485 kg
Learn how we calculate this below

Do you want to convert kilograms to cups?

On this page:

Person Icon
By
Bio image of 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.

Full bio

Review Badge Icon
Reviewed by
Bio image of Ethan Dederick, PhD

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

Full bio

How to Convert Cups to Kilograms

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:

kilograms = cups × density4.2268

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.

For example, here's how to convert 5 cups to kilograms for an ingredient with a density of 0.7 g/mL.
kilograms = 5 c × 0.7 g/mL4.2268 = 0.8281 kg

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.

What Is a Cup?

The cup is a unit of volume equal to 16 tablespoons or 8 fluid ounces. The cup should not be confused with the metric cup or the teacup, which are different units of volume.

One standard cup is equal to 236.588 milliliters, but for nutrition labeling, one cup is defined as 240 milliliters.[3] To further confuse things, a metric cup is equal to 250 mL, while in Japan, a cup is equivalent to only 200 mL.

The cup is a US customary unit of volume. Cups can be abbreviated as c, and are also sometimes abbreviated as C. For example, 1 cup can be written as 1 c or 1 C.

Learn more about cups.

What Is a Kilogram?

One kilogram is equal to 1,000 grams, 2.204623 pounds, or 1/1,000 of a metric ton.

The formal definition of the kilogram changed in 2019. One kilogram was previously equal to the mass of the platinum-iridium bar, known as the International Prototype of the Kilogram, which was stored in Sèvres, France.

The 2019 SI brochure now defines the kilogram using the Planck constant, and it is defined using the meter and second.[4] It is equal to the mass of 1,000 cubic centimeters, or milliliters, of water.

The kilogram, or kilogramme, is the SI base unit for mass and is also a multiple of the gram. In the metric system, "kilo" is the prefix for thousands, or 103. Kilograms can be abbreviated as kg; for example, 1 kilogram can be written as 1 kg.

A kilogram is also frequently referred to as a unit of weight. While technically, a kilogram is a measure of mass, and weight is actually a measure of force, the two are equivalent as long as we are performing our calculations on Earth.

For example, an object with a mass of 1 kilogram weighs 1 kilogram on Earth, but only weighs one-sixth of that on the moon, yet still has the same mass.

Learn more about kilograms.

Cup to Kilogram Conversion Table

Cup measurements converted to kilograms for commonly used cooking and baking ingredients.
Volume in Cups: Weight in Kilograms of:
Water Milk Cooking Oil All Purpose Flour Granulated Sugar
1/8 c 0.029574 kg 0.030461 kg 0.026025 kg 0.015644 kg 0.020849 kg
1/4 c 0.059147 kg 0.060921 kg 0.052049 kg 0.031289 kg 0.041699 kg
1/3 c 0.078863 kg 0.081229 kg 0.069399 kg 0.041718 kg 0.055598 kg
1/2 c 0.118294 kg 0.121843 kg 0.104099 kg 0.062578 kg 0.083397 kg
2/3 c 0.157725 kg 0.162457 kg 0.138798 kg 0.083437 kg 0.111196 kg
3/4 c 0.177441 kg 0.182764 kg 0.156148 kg 0.093866 kg 0.125096 kg
1 c 0.236588 kg 0.243686 kg 0.208198 kg 0.125155 kg 0.166795 kg

References

  1. National Institute of Standards & Technology, Culinary Measurement Tips, https://www.nist.gov/pml/owm/culinary-measurement-tips
  2. CK-12 Foundation, Introductory Chemistry (CK-12) - 12.6: Mass-Volume Stoichiometry, https://chem.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/Introductory_Chemistry/Introductory_Chemistry_(CK-12)/12%3A_Stoichiometry/12.06%3A_Mass-Volume_Stoichiometry
  3. U.S. Food & Drug Administration, Guidance for Industry: Guidelines for Determining Metric Equivalents of Household Measures, https://www.fda.gov/regulatory-information/search-fda-guidance-documents/guidance-industry-guidelines-determining-metric-equivalents-household-measures
  4. International Bureau of Weights and Measures, The International System of Units, 9th Edition, 2019, https://www.bipm.org/documents/20126/41483022/SI-Brochure-9-EN.pdf

More Cup & Kilogram Conversions

Convert from Cups

Convert to Kilograms