Millilitres

[kenny1234]

I have always believed that a teaspoon was 5 mls----I have just put 20 of them into a measuring jug and it only reads 50 mls rather than 100mls? Anyone have an explanation?

[Hopkirk]

Americans can't make decent tea, so I wouldn't trust them on teaspoons.

[THECORBYLOON]

Surely a litre of water weighs (near enough) a kilo at 4°C, when it's at its most dense, not at 20°C?

[theprof]

Nah, no micro-analytical techniques needed here gingejbee. Seems I didn't mention anything that comes under the usual definition of that term either. Where did you get that idea?

How many people do you know that have an accurate kitchen scale? Not many. Most of them weigh in gram multiples, sometimes even two gram multiples. Any idea of the +/- error on this type of scale?

I'd suggest that if you are so certain your advice will give an accurate answer, that you try it yourself using a kitchen scale.

Now if you had suggested that the OP purchase a digital pocket weighing scale with a weight limit of 100g and an accuracy of 0.1 gram or 0.01 gram off ebay etc for under a fiver, then he would have achieved a more accurate answer. Yes? Why didn't you suggest it to the OP?

Looks like the OP didn't say he was weighing water but there you go. The organic compound was cited as an extreme example of why your 1 gram = 1ml theory is an inappropriate generalisation.

I sincerely hope that the balances in the laboratories you have worked in and around were considerably more accurate than a kitchen scale. You should be well aware of weighing errors. The OP's question did not demand balances accurate to six decimal places nor graduated pipettes etc. Perhaps if you had advised the purchase of more accurate balance and a simple set of spoon measures from a kitchen store, this thread would not be the length it is. I find it remarkable that you seem satisfied that weighing to the nearest gram on a kitchen scale is good enough but then you did desire to make the answer simple.

[perseverer]

Good to see that AB can turn a simple request for clarification into the next world war.

[gumboot]

All this goes over the top of my head, but for what it's worth MrsGumboot often bakes and has accumulated three kitchen scales over the years. She weighs water to make bread but each of the three scales gives a different whole gram weight for the same water. Weird but there you are and they arent cheapo scales either.I didnt believe it until she showed me herself.
Think I'd find something better if I was weighing a few spoonfuls of water.

[mibn2cweus]

The size of teaspoons ranges from about 2.5 to 7.3 mL (0.088 to 0.257 imp fl oz; 0.085 to 0.247 US fl oz). For cooking purposes and dosing of medicine, a teaspoonful is defined as 5 mL (0.18 imp fl oz; 0.17 US fl oz), and standard measuring spoons are used.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teaspoon