Gram

• A gram is a unit of weight in the metric system, which Gabriel Mouton invented in 1670.One gram is 1/1000 kilogram, or approximately 3/100 ounce. Measurement of very light items and all food is in grams. Examples of household items that weigh approximately one gram include a paperclip and a dime.
  
  

Gram Scale

• Gram scales are small, portable and usually digital. Some scales weigh items in both grams and ounces. Before weighing an item inside a container, you first deduct the weight of the container on the keypad, and then place the item on the scale. For example, a chemist weighing a partially filled beaker will first deduct the weight of the empty beaker, causing the scale to display a negative weight. Then he places the partially filled beaker on the scale to determine the weight of its contents.
  
  

Gram Scale Maintenance

• Gram scales require calibration to maintain accuracy. Buy a set of calibration weights and use them according to the instruction booklet provided when you purchased the scale. The various models have different procedures.
  
  

Gram Scale Uses

• Gram scales are useful to the home dieter who wants to eat measured portions of food. Vendors use the scales to weight spices and other loose-pack foods. Jewelers weigh gold and other precious metals in grams, and then convert that information to pennyweight. Veterinarians record the weight of small pets, such as birds, in grams. Medical and scientific laboratories use gram scales as part of their daily routine measuring pharmaceuticals or other chemicals.