Atomic Mass Unit

Atomic mass unit, abbreviated as u or amu, is the unit of mass used to measure atoms and molecules.  One atomic mass unit is 1/12 of the mass of one atom of the isotope carbon-12.

When referring to the mass of atoms or molecules, the atomic mass unit is often used because the actual masses involved are often very small in everyday terms.  It provides a more manageable scale for expressing these masses compared to kilograms or grams.

Atomic Mass Unit

• \( u = 3.66086 \;X\;10^{-27} \; lbm  \)
• \( u = 1.66054 \;X\;10^{-27} \; kg  \)

 

Atomic Mass Unit Conversion
Multiply	By	To Get
	1	atomic mass unit, amu
	1.66054E-22	centigram
	1.66054E-23	decigram
	1.66054E-25	dekagram
	1.66054E-33	gigagram, Gg
	1.66054E-24	gram, g
	1.66054E-27	kilogram, kg
	1.66054E-30	megagram, Mg
	1.66054E-18	microgram
	1.66054E-21	milligram, mg
	5.85738E-26	ounce, oz
	3.66086E-27	pound, lb
	1.83043E-30	short ton
	1.63431E-30	long ton
	1.66054E-30	metric ton
	3.66086E-30	kip