Kilograms to Cups Converter - (kg to c)

How to Convert Kilograms to Cups

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Since kilograms are a unit of mass and cups are a unit of volume, 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 kilograms and cups of an ingredient or substance, we must either multiply or divide by its density, depending on which direction we are performing the conversion.

Kilograms to Cups Formula

To convert a measurement in kilograms to cups, divide the weight by the density of the ingredient 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 4.2268 by the density to convert to kg/c.

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

cups = kilograms × 4.2268 / density

Thus, the volume in cups is equal to the weight in kilograms times 4.2268 divided by the density of the ingredient, substance, or material.

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

cups = 5 kg × 4.22680.7 g/mL = 30.1911 c

When to Convert Kilograms to Cups

Kilograms and cups 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 weight to volume 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.

How Many Cups Are in a Kilogram?

The actual volume of a kilogram will vary depending on the density of the material. The table below shows how many cups of various wet and dry ingredients are in a kilogram.

Kilogram measurements converted to cups for commonly used cooking and baking ingredients.
Weight in Kilograms:	Volume in Cups of:
Weight in Kilograms:	Water	Milk	Cooking Oil	All Purpose Flour	Granulated Sugar
1 kg	4.2268 c	4.1036 c	4.8031 c	7.9901 c	5 c
2 kg	8.4535 c	8.2073 c	9.6063 c	15.98 c	10 c
3 kg	12.68 c	12.31 c	14.41 c	23.97 c	15 c
4 kg	16.91 c	16.41 c	19.21 c	31.96 c	20 c
5 kg	21.13 c	20.52 c	24.02 c	39.95 c	25 c
6 kg	25.36 c	24.62 c	28.82 c	47.94 c	30 c
7 kg	29.59 c	28.73 c	33.62 c	55.93 c	35 c
8 kg	33.81 c	32.83 c	38.43 c	63.92 c	40 c
9 kg	38.04 c	36.93 c	43.23 c	71.91 c	45 c
10 kg	42.27 c	41.04 c	48.03 c	79.9 c	50 c
11 kg	46.49 c	45.14 c	52.83 c	87.89 c	55 c
12 kg	50.72 c	49.24 c	57.64 c	95.88 c	60 c
13 kg	54.95 c	53.35 c	62.44 c	103.87 c	65 c
14 kg	59.17 c	57.45 c	67.24 c	111.86 c	70 c
15 kg	63.4 c	61.55 c	72.05 c	119.85 c	75 c
16 kg	67.63 c	65.66 c	76.85 c	127.84 c	80 c
17 kg	71.85 c	69.76 c	81.65 c	135.83 c	85 c
18 kg	76.08 c	73.87 c	86.46 c	143.82 c	90 c
19 kg	80.31 c	77.97 c	91.26 c	151.81 c	95 c
20 kg	84.54 c	82.07 c	96.06 c	159.8 c	100 c
21 kg	88.76 c	86.18 c	100.87 c	167.79 c	105 c
22 kg	92.99 c	90.28 c	105.67 c	175.78 c	110 c
23 kg	97.22 c	94.38 c	110.47 c	183.77 c	115 c
24 kg	101.44 c	98.49 c	115.28 c	191.76 c	120 c
25 kg	105.67 c	102.59 c	120.08 c	199.75 c	125 c
26 kg	109.9 c	106.69 c	124.88 c	207.74 c	130 c
27 kg	114.12 c	110.8 c	129.68 c	215.73 c	135 c
28 kg	118.35 c	114.9 c	134.49 c	223.72 c	140 c
29 kg	122.58 c	119.01 c	139.29 c	231.71 c	145 c
30 kg	126.8 c	123.11 c	144.09 c	239.7 c	150 c
31 kg	131.03 c	127.21 c	148.9 c	247.69 c	155 c
32 kg	135.26 c	131.32 c	153.7 c	255.68 c	160 c
33 kg	139.48 c	135.42 c	158.5 c	263.67 c	165 c
34 kg	143.71 c	139.52 c	163.31 c	271.66 c	170 c
35 kg	147.94 c	143.63 c	168.11 c	279.65 c	175 c
36 kg	152.16 c	147.73 c	172.91 c	287.64 c	180 c
37 kg	156.39 c	151.83 c	177.72 c	295.63 c	185 c
38 kg	160.62 c	155.94 c	182.52 c	303.62 c	190 c
39 kg	164.84 c	160.04 c	187.32 c	311.61 c	195 c
40 kg	169.07 c	164.15 c	192.13 c	319.6 c	200 c

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.^[3] 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 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.

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 cup is equal to 236.588 milliliters, but in nutrition labeling, one cup is defined as 240 milliliters.^[4] 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.

Kilograms to Cups Conversion Calculator