Cups to Pounds & Ounces Converter

How to Convert Cups to Pounds

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Since cups are a unit of volume and pounds 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 pounds 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 Pounds Formula

To convert a measurement in cups to pounds, 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 pounds per cup (lb/c).

If the density is given in grams per milliliter (g/mL), then first divide the density by 1.9172 to convert to lb/c.

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

pounds = cups × density / 1.9172

Thus, the weight in pounds is equal to the volume in cups times the density (in g/mL) of the ingredient or material divided by 1.9172.

For example, here's how to convert 5 cups to pounds for an ingredient with a density of 0.7 g/mL.

pounds = 5 c × 0.7 g/mL1.9172 = 1.8256 lb

When to Convert Cups to Pounds

Cups and pounds 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.

For cooking and baking ingredients, you can get more specific results using our butter, flour, and sugar conversion calculators.

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 Pound?

Pounds are a widely used unit of weight in the United States. The National Bureau of Standards approved the international definition of the pound for use in the United States in 1959 after an agreement between six nations referred to as the International Yard and Pound Agreement.^[4]

One pound is equal to 16 ounces, or 0.45359237 kilograms. In the avoirdupois or apothecaries' systems, one pound is equal to 7,000 grains.^[5]

The pound is a US customary and imperial unit of mass. A pound is sometimes also referred to as a common ounce. Pounds can be abbreviated as lb (plural lbs), and are also sometimes abbreviated as lb_m or #. For example, 1 pound can be written as 1 lb, 1 lb_m, or 1 #, and 2 pounds can be written as 2 lbs.

A pound is also frequently referred to as a unit of weight. While technically, a pound 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 pound weighs 1 pound on Earth, but only weighs one-sixth of that on the moon, yet still has the same mass.

Learn more about pounds.

Volume in Cups:	Weight in Pounds of:
Volume in Cups:	Water	Milk	Cooking Oil	All Purpose Flour	Granulated Sugar
1/8 c	0.065198 lb	0.067154 lb	0.057375 lb	0.03449 lb	0.055116 lb
1/4 c	0.130397 lb	0.134309 lb	0.114749 lb	0.06898 lb	0.110231 lb
1/3 c	0.173863 lb	0.179078 lb	0.152999 lb	0.091973 lb	0.146975 lb
1/2 c	0.260794 lb	0.268618 lb	0.229499 lb	0.13796 lb	0.220462 lb
2/3 c	0.347725 lb	0.358157 lb	0.305998 lb	0.183947 lb	0.29395 lb
3/4 c	0.391191 lb	0.402927 lb	0.344248 lb	0.20694 lb	0.330693 lb
1 c	0.521588 lb	0.537235 lb	0.458997 lb	0.27592 lb	0.440925 lb

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