centigram

Centigram, symbol cg, is a unit of mass in the metric system. It equals one hundredth of a gram (0.01 g). Since the gram is defined as one thousandth of a kilogram, one centigram is also 0.00001 kilograms. The centigram is a submultiple of the gram, and the gram is a derived unit accepted for use with the International System of Units (SI).

Common usage: Centigrams are used for small masses in scientific contexts such as chemistry, pharmacology, and materials science, and may appear in older laboratory data or on specialized balances. In most contemporary contexts, milligrams (mg) are used for small masses, since 1 cg equals 10 mg. For larger quantities, grams and kilograms are used.

Measurement and standards: Accurate measurement of centigrams requires precision scales or analytical balances capable of resolving at least 0.01 g. The unit is rarely encountered in cooking or everyday nutrition labeling, where grams or milligrams are typically preferred.

Related units: Decigram (0.1 g) and milligram (0.001 g).