Milligram
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A milligram is a unit of mass in the metric system. One milligram equals one-thousandth of a gram, or 0.001 grams. The international symbol is "mg".
The word consists of two parts: the prefix "milli-", which in the SI system means one-thousandth, and "gram", the base unit of mass that was replaced. Consequently, one gram contains 1,000 mg, while one kilogram contains 1,000,000 mg.
Place in the SI system
In the International System of Units (SI), the base unit of mass is the kilogram, not the gram. The milligram is a derived unit from the gram using the "milli-" prefix. As such, the milligram is an accepted SI unit and is formally used in science and commerce.
Uses
The milligram is commonly used to measure very small masses. For example, medication dosages are often expressed in mg, such as a tablet containing 500 mg of paracetamol. It is also used to indicate the amount of vitamins and minerals in food, and the mass concentration of chemicals in laboratories.
Related units
Below the milligram are the microgram (µg), which is one-thousandth of a milligram, and the nanogram (ng). Above are the gram, kilogram, and metric ton. Milligram measurements are performed with precision analytical balances capable of detecting very small differences.