Convert Kiloton (Metric) (kt) to Kilogram (kg) instantly.
About these units
Kiloton (Metric) (kt)
A kiloton, equal to 1,000 metric tons, is used in large-scale industrial, geological, and agricultural contexts. However, the term is better known for expressing explosive yields, particularly of nuclear weapons. Scientists estimate the energy release of explosions by comparing them to the detonation of 1,000 tons of TNT. For example, the Hiroshima bomb had a yield of about 15 kilotons. Outside military contexts, kilotons appear in discussions of carbon emissions, waste production, and global resource extraction. They provide a manageable scale for describing quantities too large for tons but not yet at the megaton level.
Kilogram (kg)
The kilogram is the base unit of mass in the SI system and the only SI unit defined directly by a fundamental constant rather than a physical object. Originally, its definition was tied to a platinum–iridium artifact stored in France—the famous "International Prototype Kilogram." Over time, tiny mass changes in the prototype and its official copies created difficulties for high-precision science. In 2019, the kilogram was redefined using Planck's constant, linking mass to the laws of quantum physics through the Kibble balance. This innovation ensures universality, stability, and reproducibility across the world. The kilogram is central to commerce, science, engineering, and every quantitative field dealing with matter. Its decimal relationships with other metric units (grams, milligrams, tons) make it universally convenient. From groceries to spacecraft mass budgets, the kilogram anchors modern mass measurement.