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The Range of Masses in the Universe
Factor (kg) | Value | Item |
---|---|---|
10−40 | 4.2×10−40 kg | Mass equivalent of the energy of a photon at the peak of the spectrum of the cosmic microwave background radiation (0.235 meV/c2)[citation needed] |
10−36 | 1.8×10−36 kg | One eV/c2, the mass equivalent of one electronvolt[2] |
3.6×10−36 kg | Electron neutrino, upper limit on mass (2 eV/c2)[3] | |
10−31 | 9.11×10−31 kg | Electron (511 keV/c2), the lightest elementary particle with a measured nonzero rest mass[4] |
10−30 | 3.0–5.5×10−30 kg. | Up quark (as a current quark) (1.7–3.1 MeV/c2)[5] |
10−28 | 1.9×10−28 kg | Muon (106 MeV/c2)[6] |
10−27 yoctogram (yg) |
1.661×10−27 kg | Atomic mass unit (u) or dalton (Da) |
1.673×10−27 kg | Proton (938.3 MeV/c2)[7][8] | |
1.674×10−27 kg | Hydrogen atom, the lightest atom | |
1.675×10−27 kg | Neutron (939.6 MeV/c2)[9][10] | |
10−26 | 1.2×10−26 kg | Lithium atom (6.941 u) |
3.0×10−26 kg | Water molecule (18.015 u) | |
8.0×10−26 kg | Titanium atom (47.867 u) | |
10−25 | 1.1×10−25 kg | Copper atom (63.546 u) |
1.6×10−25 kg | Z boson (91.2 GeV/c2)[11] | |
3.1×10−25 kg | Top quark (173 GeV/c2),[12] the heaviest known elementary particle | |
3.2×10−25 kg | Caffeine molecule (194 u) | |
3.5×10−25 kg | Lead-208 atom, the heaviest stable isotope known |
10−24 to 10−19 kg
Factor (kg) | Value | Item |
---|---|---|
10−24 zeptogram (zg) |
1.2×10−24 kg | Buckyball molecule (720 u) |
10−23 | 1.4×10−23 kg | Ubiquitin, a small protein (8.6 kDa)[13] |
5.5×10−23 kg | A typical protein (median size of roughly 300 amino acids ~= 33 kDa)[14] | |
10−22 | 1.1×10−22 kg | Haemoglobin A molecule in blood (64.5 kDa)[15] |
10−21 attogram (ag) |
1.65×10−21 kg | Double-stranded DNA molecule consisting of 1,578 base pairs (995,000 daltons)[16] |
4.3×10−21 kg | Prokaryotic ribosome (2.6 MDa)[17] | |
7.1×10−21 kg | Eukaryotic ribosome (4.3 MDa)[17] | |
7.6×10−21 kg | Brome mosaic virus, a small virus (4.6 MDa)[18] | |
10−20 | 3×10−20 kg | Synaptic vesicle in rats (16.1 ± 3.8 MDa)[19] |
6.8×10−20 kg | Tobacco mosaic virus (41 MDa)[20] | |
10−19 | 1.1×10−19 kg | Nuclear pore complex in yeast (66 MDa)[21] |
2.5×10−19 kg | Human adenovirus (150 MDa)[22] |
10−18 to 10−13 kg
Factor (kg) | Value | Item |
---|---|---|
10−18 femtogram (fg) |
1×10−18 kg | HIV-1 virus[23][24] |
4.7×10−18 kg | DNA sequence of length 4.6 Mbp, the length of the E. coli genome[25] | |
10−17 | ~1×10−17 kg | Vaccinia virus, a large virus[26] |
1.1×10−17 kg | Mass equivalent of 1 joule[27] | |
10−16 | 3×10−16 kg | Prochlorococcus cyanobacteria, the smallest (and possibly most plentiful)[28] photosynthetic organism on Earth[29][30] |
10−15 picogram (pg) |
1×10−15 kg | E. coli bacterium (wet weight)[31] |
6×10−15 kg | DNA in a typical diploid human cell (approximate) | |
10−14 | 2.2×10−14 kg | Human sperm cell[30][32] |
6×10−14 kg | Yeast cell (quite variable)[33][34] | |
10−13 | 1.5×10−13 kg | Dunaliella salina, a green algae (dry weight)[35] |
10−12 to 10−7 kg
Factor (kg) | Value | Item |
---|---|---|
10−12 nanogram (ng) |
1×10−12 kg | Average human cell (1 nanogram)[36] |
2–3×10−12 kg | HeLa human cell[37][38] | |
8×10−12 kg | Grain of birch pollen[39] | |
10−11 | ||
10−10 | 2.5×10−10 kg | Grain of maize pollen[40] |
3.5×10−10 kg | Very fine grain of sand (0.063 mm diameter, 350 nanograms) | |
10−9 microgram (µg) |
3.6×10−9 kg | Human ovum[30][41] |
2.4×10−9 kg | US RDA for vitamin B12 for adults[42] | |
10−8 | 1.5×10−8 kg | US RDA for vitamin D for adults[43] |
~2×10−8 kg | Uncertainty in the mass of the International Prototype Kilogram (IPK) (±~20 µg)[citation needed] | |
2.2×10−8 kg | Planck mass[44] | |
~7×10−8 kg | One eyebrow hair (approximate)[45] | |
10−7 | 1.5×10−7 kg | US RDA for iodine for adults[46] |
2–3×10−7 kg | Fruit fly (dry weight)[47][48] |
10×10−6 to 1 kg
Factor (kg) | Value | Item |
---|---|---|
10−6 milligram (mg) |
2.5×10−6 kg | Mosquitoes, common smaller species (about 2.5 milligrams)[49] |
10−5 centigram (cg) |
1.1×10−5 kg | Small granule of quartz (2 mm diameter, 11 milligrams)[50] |
2×10−5 kg | Adult housefly (Musca domestica, 21.4 milligrams)[51] | |
10−4 decigram (dg) |
0.27–2.0×10−4 kg | Range of amounts of caffeine in one cup of coffee (27–200 milligrams)[52] |
2×10−4 kg | Metric carat (200 milligrams)[53] | |
10−3 gram (g) |
1×10−3 kg | One cubic centimeter of water (1 gram)[54] |
1×10−3 kg | US dollar bill (1 gram)[55] | |
~1×10−3 kg | Two raisins (approximately 1 gram)[56] | |
8×10−3 kg | Coins of one Euro (7.5 grams)[57] and one U.S. dollar (8.1 grams)[58] | |
10−2 decagram (dag) |
2–4×10−2 kg | Adult mouse (Mus musculus, 20–40 grams)[59] |
1.37×10−2 kg | Amount of ethanol defined as one standard drink in the U.S. (13.7 grams)[60] | |
2.8×10−2 kg | Ounce (avoirdupois) (28.35 grams)[53] | |
4.7×10−2 kg | Mass equivalent of the energy that is called 1 megaton of TNT equivalent[53][61] | |
10−1 hectogram (hg) |
0.1-0.2 kg | An orange (100–200 grams)[62] |
0.454 kg | Pound (avoirdupois) (454 grams)[53] |
1 kg to 105 kg
Factor (kg) | Value | Item |
---|---|---|
1 kg kilogram (kg) |
1 kg | One litre (0.001 m3) of water[63] |
1–3 kg | Smallest breed of dog (Chihuahua)[64] | |
1–3 kg | Typical laptop computer, 2010[65] | |
2.5–4 kg | Newborn human baby[66] | |
4.0 kg | Women's shot[67] | |
4–5 kg | Housecat[citation needed] | |
7.26 kg | Men's shot[67] | |
101 | 9–27 kg | Medium-sized dog[68][69][70] |
10–30 kg | A CRT computer monitor or television set[citation needed] | |
70 kg | Adult human[71] | |
70 kg | Large dog[citation needed] | |
102 | 130–180 kg | Mature lion, female (130 kg) and male (180 kg)[72] |
240–450 kg | Grand piano[73][74] | |
400–900 kg | Dairy cow[75] | |
500-500,000 kg | A teaspoon (5 ml) of white dwarf material (0.5–500 tonnes)[76][77] | |
907.2 kg | 1 short ton (2000 pounds - U.S.)[53] | |
103 megagram (Mg) |
1000 kg | Metric ton/tonne[53] |
1000 kg | 1 cubic metre of water[63] | |
1016.05 kg | Ton (British) / 1 long ton (2240 pounds - U.S.)[53] | |
800–1600 kg | Typical passenger cars[citation needed] | |
3000–7000 kg | Adult elephant[citation needed] | |
104 | 1.1×104 kg | Hubble Space Telescope (11 tonnes)[78] |
1.2×104 kg | Largest elephant on record (12 tonnes)[citation needed] | |
1.4×104 kg | Big Ben (bell) (14 tonnes)[79] | |
4×104 kg | Maximum gross mass (truck + load combined) of a semi-trailer truck in the EU (40–44 tonnes)[80] | |
6.0×104 kg | Largest single-piece meteorite, Hoba West Meteorite (60 tonnes)[81] | |
7.3×104 kg | Largest dinosaur, Argentinosaurus (73 tonnes)[82] | |
105 | 1.8×105 kg | Largest animal ever, a blue whale (180 tonnes)[83] |
4.2×105 kg | International Space Station (417 tonnes)[84] | |
6×105 kg | World's heaviest aircraft: Antonov An-225 (maximum take-off mass: 600 tonnes, payload: 250 tonnes)[85] |
106 to 1011 kg
Factor (kg) | Value | Item |
---|---|---|
106 gigagram (Gg) |
1×106 kg | Trunk of the giant sequoia tree named General Sherman, largest living tree by trunk volume (1121 tonnes)[86] |
2.0×106 kg | Launch mass of the Space Shuttle (2041 tonnes)[87] | |
6×106 kg | Largest clonal colony, the quaking aspen named Pando (largest living organism) (6000 tonnes)[88] | |
7.8×106 kg | Virginia-class nuclear submarine (submerged weight)[89] | |
107 | 1×107 kg | Annual production of Darjeeling tea[90] |
5.2×107 kg | RMS Titanic when fully loaded (52,000 tonnes)[91] | |
9.97×107 kg | Heaviest train ever: Australia's BHP Iron Ore, 2001 record (99,700 tonnes)[92] | |
108 | 6.6×108 kg | Largest ship and largest mobile man-made object, Seawise Giant, when fully loaded (660,000 tonnes)[93] |
109 teragram (Tg) |
4.3×109 kg | Amount of matter converted into energy by the Sun each second[94] |
6×109 kg | Great Pyramid of Giza[95] | |
1010
|
6×1010 kg | Amount of concrete in the Three Gorges Dam, the world's largest concrete structure[96][97] |
1011 | ~1×1011 kg | The mass of a primordial black hole with an evaporation time equal to the age of the universe[98] |
2×1011 kg | Amount of water stored in London storage reservoirs (0.2 km3)[99] | |
4×1011 kg | Total mass of the human world population[71][100][101] | |
5×1011 kg | Total biomass of Antarctic krill, probably the most plentiful animal species on the planet[102] |
1012 to 1017 kg
Factor (kg) | Value | Item |
---|---|---|
1012 petagram (Pg) |
0.8–2.1×1012 kg | Global biomass of fish[103] |
4×1012 kg | World crude oil production in 2009 (3,843 Mt)[104] | |
5.5×1012 kg | A teaspoon (5 ml) of neutron star material (5000 million tonnes)[105] | |
1013 | 1–100×1013 kg | A 1–5 km tall mountain (very approximate)[106] |
1014 | 1.05×1014 kg | Global net primary production – the total mass of carbon fixed in organic compounds by photosynthesis each year on Earth[107] |
7.2×1014 kg | Total carbon stored in Earth's atmosphere[108] | |
1015 exagram (Eg) |
2.0×1015 kg | Total carbon stored in the terrestrial biosphere[109] |
3.5×1015 kg | Total carbon stored in coal deposits worldwide[110] | |
1016 | 1×1016 kg | 951 Gaspra, the first asteroid ever to be closely approached by a spacecraft (rough estimate)[111] |
1×1016 kg | Rough estimate of the total carbon content of all organisms on Earth.[112] | |
3.8×1016 kg | Total carbon stored in the oceans.[113] | |
1017 | 1.6×1017 kg | Prometheus, a shepherd satellite for the inner edge of Saturn's F Ring[114] |
1018 to 1023 kg
Factor (kg) | Value | Item |
---|---|---|
1018 zettagram (Zg) |
5.1×1018 kg | Earth's atmosphere[115] |
5.6×1018 kg | Hyperion, a moon of Saturn[114] | |
1019 | 3×1019 kg | 3 Juno, one of the larger asteroids in the asteroid belt[116] |
3×1019 kg | The rings of Saturn[117] | |
1020 | 9.4×1020 kg | Ceres, dwarf planet within the asteroid belt[118] |
1021 yottagram (Yg) |
1.4×1021 kg | Earth's oceans[119] |
1.5×1021 kg | Charon, the largest moon of Pluto[120] | |
2.9–3.7×1021 kg | The asteroid belt[121] | |
1022 | 1.3×1022 kg | Pluto[120] |
2.1×1022 kg | Triton, largest moon of Neptune[122] | |
7.3×1022 kg | Earth's Moon[123] | |
1023 | 1.3×1023 kg | Titan, largest moon of Saturn[124] |
1.5×1023 kg | Ganymede, largest moon of Jupiter[125] | |
3.3×1023 kg | Mercury[126] | |
6.4×1023 kg | Mars[127] |
1024 to 1029 kg
Factor (kg) | Value | Item |
---|---|---|
1024 | 4.9×1024 kg | Venus[128] |
6.0×1024 kg | Earth[129] | |
1025 | 3×1025 kg | Oort cloud[130] |
8.7×1025 kg | Uranus[131] | |
1026 | 1.0×1026 kg | Neptune[132] |
5.7×1026 kg | Saturn[133] | |
1027 | 1.9×1027 kg | Jupiter[134] |
1028 | 2–14×1028 kg | Brown dwarfs (approximate)[135] |
1029 | 3×1029 kg | Barnard's Star, a nearby red dwarf[136] |
1030 to 1035 kg
Factor (kg) | Value | Item |
---|---|---|
1030 | 2×1030 kg | The Sun[137] (one solar mass or M☉ = 1.989×1030 kg) |
2.8×1030 kg | Chandrasekhar limit (1.4 M☉)[138][139] | |
1031 | 4×1031 kg | Betelgeuse, a red supergiant star (20 M☉)[140] |
1032 | 2–3×1032 kg | Pistol Star, one of the most massive known stars (100[141] to 150[142] M☉) |
6–8×1032 kg | Hyades star cluster (300 to 400 M☉)[143] | |
1033 | 1.6×1033 kg | Pleiades star cluster (800 M☉)[144] |
1034 | ||
1035 | ~1035 kg | Typical globular cluster in the Milky Way (overall range: 3×103 to 3×106 M☉)[145] |
2×1035 kg | Low end of mass range for giant molecular clouds (1×105 to 1×107 M☉)[146][147] | |
7.3×1035 kg |
Jeans mass of a giant
molecular cloud at 100K and density 30 atoms per cc;[148] possible example: Orion Molecular Cloud Complex |
1036 to 1041 kg
Factor (kg) | Value | Item |
---|---|---|
1036 | 2.4×1036 kg | The Gould Belt of stars, including the Sun (1.2×106 M☉)[149] |
7–8×1036 kg | The supermassive black hole at the center of the Milky Way, associated with the radio source Sagittarius A* (3.7±0.2×106 M☉)[150] | |
1037 | ||
1038 | ||
1039 | ||
1040 | 4.17×1040 kg | NGC 4889, the largest measured supermassive black hole, weighing in at 21 billion solar masses (2.1×1010 M☉) |
1041 | 4×1041 kg | Visible mass of the Milky Way galaxy[151] |
1042 kg and greater
Factor (kg) | Value | Item |
---|---|---|
1042 | 1.2×1042 kg | Milky Way galaxy (5.8×1011 M☉)[152] |
2–3×1042 kg | Local Group of galaxies, including the Milky Way (1.29±0.14×1012 M☉)[152] | |
1043 | ||
1044 | ||
1045 | 1–2×1045 kg | Local or Virgo Supercluster of galaxies, including the Local Group (1×1015 M☉)[153] |
1046 | ||
1047 | ||
1048 | ||
1049 | ||
1050 | ||
1051 | ||
1052 | 6×1052 kg | Mass of the observable universe[154] |
This series on orders of magnitude does not have a range of larger masses