Four hundred grams, which is equal to about 0.88 pounds, can be a difficult weight to visualize if you’re not familiar with grams. However, if you look around your home, you can probably spot several common items that weigh about 400 grams, and this can make estimating the weight much simpler.
A Loaf of Bread
Loaves of bread can vary in size and shape, and their ingredients and how they’re baked can change how much they weigh. However, a small loaf of bread usually weighs between 400 and 500 grams. Sourdough or soda bread loaves are amongst the common types of loaves that weigh about 400 grams.
A Football
Footballs are generally quite uniform in size, shape, and weight, but how much air is added to the ball, plus the ball’s exact construction and material, can sometimes affect its weight. For a football to be used in professional play, it must weigh between 396.89 and 425 grams.
Soccer balls can also be used to estimate 400 grams. Professional soccer balls are slightly larger than American footballs, and they must weigh between 410 and 450 grams.
Eighty Nickels
Coins are one of the easiest ways to estimate weight, and they can be useful for accurately calibrating scales because they have a very uniform weight. Nickels, for example, weigh exactly 5 grams each. This means that you would need 80 nickels to equal 400 grams.
You can also use pennies to estimate 400 grams. One penny weighs 2.5 grams, half of what a nickel weighs. You would therefore need 160 pennies to equal 400 grams.
Four Bars of Soap
Although there are many types of bar soap, and each one uses slightly different ingredients and can have a different shape, most bar soap weighs right around 100 grams. You would need four bars of soap to reach 400 grams. This weight estimate isn’t exact, but since most people are familiar with the weight of a bar of soap, it can be useful for quick measurements.
A Jar of Nutella
Nutella is a popular chocolate hazelnut spread that can be put on toast or used in a variety of baked goods. One jar of Nutella weighs almost exactly 400 grams, so if you’ve ever held a full Nutella jar, you can estimate that weight.
You can also often use small jars of peanut butter to estimate a weight that’s right around 400 grams.
Two Hamsters
Hamsters are a popular pet because they’re cute, fluffy, and require only simple care. Syrian hamsters, which are one of the most common varieties, weigh about 200 grams each as adults. This means that a pair of hamsters should weigh about 400 grams.
A Can of Soda
A can of soda, whether it’s a Coca-Cola, Sprite, or Pepsi, will usually weigh almost exactly 400 grams. Most soda cans are a uniform size and shape, even across different brands, so that they can fit into soda vending machines. You can also use seltzer water or energy drink cans to estimate 400 grams, but these cans are not as uniform in size as soda, so they might weigh a bit more or less.
Four Tomatoes
An average, medium-sized tomato will generally weigh around 100 grams, which means you would need four of them to equal 400 grams. Like any fruit or vegetable, tomatoes can grow to different sizes depending on their variety, what nutrients they receive, and where they’re grown. Ripe tomatoes will also weigh a little bit more than unripe tomatoes. Imagining a tomato, however, can help you estimate the feel of 1/4 of 400 grams, which can help break down the weight.
Two Cups of Sugar
Using weight when baking can often give you a more consistent and better-tasting final product. Sugar is often measured by volume in the United States, but in other parts of the world, it’s measured by weight using grams. One cup of sugar is equal to 200 grams, so you would need two cups to equal 400 grams.
You can also measure other dry ingredients by weight. Two cups of uncooked rice or 2 cups of almonds also weigh about 400 grams. Four sticks of butter, on the other hand, also weigh about 400 grams.
400 Paper Clips
Paper clips are a handy tool when it comes to calibrating a scale or estimating weights because all of the paper clips in a box will weigh the same amount, and most average paper clips weigh the same regardless of brand. One paper clip weighs 1 gram, so 400 paper clips is equal to 400 grams.
Two Pomegranates
Pomegranates can vary in size and therefore weight, but they usually grow to a relatively similar size and shape. One pomegranate generally weighs about 200 grams, although this can fluctuate slightly. Two pomegranates, therefore, are equal to 400 grams.
