What Is decigram?
A decigram is a metric unit used to measure mass. It is smaller than a gram. One decigram is equal to one tenth of a gram. People use it when they need to measure small but not tiny amounts of material.
Definition
A decigram is a unit of mass in the metric system.
- System metric system
- Size 1 decigram = 0.1 gram
- Relation to gram ten decigrams make one gram
- Type of quantity mass or weight in everyday language
Because it is based on the gram, the decigram is easy to use with other metric units. You can quickly move between decigram, gram, and milligram by moving the decimal point.
History / Origin
The decigram comes from the early metric system that started in France in the late 1700s. At that time, scientists and leaders wanted a simple and regular way to measure things so that trade and science would be easier.
The word has two parts:
- deci means one tenth and comes from Latin decimus which means tenth
- gram comes from the Greek word gramma which means a small weight
The decigram was defined as one tenth of a gram when the metric system was first made. Over time, the gram was linked to scientific standards, and the decigram always stayed as exactly 0.1 gram. Today the metric system is part of the International System of Units called SI, and the decigram is still recognized as a unit based on the gram.
Symbol & Abbreviation
The standard symbol for decigram is:
- dg
Important rules:
- The letter d is lowercase.
- The letter g is also lowercase.
- There is no dot after the symbol in scientific use. For example, write 5 dg not 5 dg.
- Always put a space between the number and the symbol. For example, 3 dg not 3dg.
Current Use Around the World
The decigram is part of the official metric system, but it is not as common as grams and milligrams. Here is how it is used today.
- Science and education Some school science labs may use decigrams in exercises to help students understand metric prefixes like deci and centi.
- Food and cooking Many recipes use grams instead of decigrams, but decigrams can describe small amounts of ingredients. For example, 3 dg of a spice is the same as 0.3 g.
- Medicine and health Doctors and pharmacists usually use milligrams and micrograms which are smaller. Decigrams are possible but uncommon.
- Everyday use In daily life, people are far more likely to talk about grams and kilograms. The decigram is mostly seen in textbooks, charts or detailed measurement tables.
Even if people do not use the name often, the idea of one tenth of a gram is still useful for clear and precise measurement.
Example Conversions
These examples show how decigrams relate to other units.
Decigram to gram
- 1 dg = 0.1 g
- 5 dg = 0.5 g
- 10 dg = 1 g
- 25 dg = 2.5 g
- 100 dg = 10 g
Decigram to milligram
There are 1 000 milligrams in 1 gram, so there are 100 milligrams in 1 decigram.
- 1 dg = 100 mg
- 0.5 dg = 50 mg
- 2 dg = 200 mg
- 7.5 dg = 750 mg
Decigram to kilogram
There are 1 000 grams in a kilogram.
- 1 dg = 0.0001 kg
- 100 dg = 0.01 kg
- 1 000 dg = 0.1 kg
- 10 000 dg = 1 kg
Decigram to ounce approximate
1 ounce is about 28.35 grams.
- 1 dg about 0.0035 ounces
- 10 dg about 0.35 ounces
- 30 dg about 1.06 ounces about 1 ounce
Related Units
All of these metric units are based on the gram.
- Microgram (µg) 1 µg = 0.000001 g, used for very tiny masses, such as vitamins or hormones.
- Milligram (mg) 1 mg = 0.001 g, used for medicine doses and very small amounts.
- Centigram (cg) 1 cg = 0.01 g, one hundredth of a gram.
- Decigram (dg) 1 dg = 0.1 g, one tenth of a gram.
- Gram (g) base unit for small masses, common in food labels and science.
- Decagram (dag) 1 dag = 10 g, sometimes used in food markets.
- Hectogram (hg) 1 hg = 100 g, used sometimes for food in some countries.
- Kilogram (kg) 1 kg = 1 000 g, main unit for body weight and shopping.
FAQs
Q: What is a decigram in simple words?
A: A decigram is a small unit for mass in the metric system. It is one tenth of a gram, so 10 decigrams equal 1 gram.
Q: Which is bigger, a decigram or a gram?
A: A gram is bigger. One gram equals 10 decigrams. Think of a gram as a full chocolate square and a decigram as one tenth of that square.
Q: How many milligrams are in a decigram?
A: There are 100 milligrams in 1 decigram, because 1 dg = 0.1 g and 1 g = 1 000 mg.
Q: Do people use decigrams in real life?
A: Not very often. In daily life most people use grams and kilograms. Decigrams are mostly used in learning about the metric system and sometimes in detailed measurement tables.
Q: How do I change decigrams to grams?
A: To change decigrams to grams, divide by 10 or move the decimal point one place to the left. For example, 7.2 dg becomes 0.72 g.
Q: Is decigram an SI unit?
A: The official SI base unit for mass is the kilogram. The decigram is a decimal unit built from the gram, which is based on the kilogram, so it is accepted for use with SI.