When you hear 5 grams, it may sound like almost nothing. After all, it’s less than the weight of a single sheet of paper in your hand. But this tiny weight shows up all over your home in little ways—from stationery and coins to kitchen supplies.
For perspective:
- 5 grams = 0.176 ounces
- 5 grams ≈ the weight of a teaspoon of sugar
- Let’s look at 21 common household items that weigh about 5 grams.
21 Household Items That Weigh 5 Grams
1. A Teaspoon of Sugar
One level teaspoon of granulated sugar weighs almost exactly 5 grams—a kitchen-friendly way to measure without a scale.
2. A U.S. Nickel Coin
A standard nickel coin weighs 5 grams, making it one of the easiest ways to visualize this weight.
3. A Sheet of Notebook Paper (A4/Letter)
A single piece of standard printer paper weighs about 4.5–5 grams, depending on thickness.
4. A Standard Pen Cap
The plastic cap on a regular ballpoint pen weighs around 5 grams.
5. A Small Envelope
A regular mailing envelope (without a letter inside) is right around 5 grams.
6. A Tea Bag
Most dry tea bags weigh about 2–3 grams, and with the string and wrapper, the total comes close to 5 grams.
7. A Single Grape
Depending on size, one medium grape weighs about 5 grams.
8. A Dollar Bill (5 of Them)
Each U.S. dollar bill weighs about 1 gram, so five bills together = 5 grams.
9. A Paperclip (Large Size)
A large metal paperclip weighs about 1.1 grams—so about five paperclips equal 5 grams.
10. A Push Pin
One medium push pin weighs almost exactly 5 grams.
11. A Stick of Chewing Gum
Individually wrapped gum sticks often weigh 4–5 grams each.
12. A Button (Medium Plastic)
A regular plastic shirt or sweater button is usually around 5 grams.
13. A Playing Card
A single standard playing card weighs about 1.8 grams—so three cards together weigh 5 grams.
14. A Lego Brick (2×4 Standard Size)
The classic 2×4 Lego brick weighs about 2.5 grams, so two bricks = 5 grams.
15. A Small Rubber Band
A standard office rubber band weighs close to 5 grams.
16. A Push-Button Battery (CR2032)
These small coin batteries commonly used in remotes and watches weigh about 3–4 grams, and with packaging or casing, around 5 grams.
17. A Teabag Tag + String
The paper tag and string from a tea bag adds up to roughly 5 grams.
18. A Standard Birthday Candle
One small wax birthday candle weighs about 5 grams.
19. A Plastic Straw
A disposable plastic drinking straw usually weighs about 5 grams.
20. A Domino Tile (Mini Set)
Smaller plastic or wooden dominoes weigh about 5 grams each.
21. A USB Flash Drive (Mini)
Lightweight plastic USB drives often weigh about 5 grams, depending on casing.
Final Thoughts
5 grams might seem tiny, but as you can see, there are plenty of things around your home that fall into this weight range. From coins and paper to kitchen items and office supplies, these small examples help you imagine what 5 grams feels like.
Knowing this can come in handy for:
- Cooking measurements
- Postage/shipping estimates
- Science experiments at home
- Everyday curiosity about weights