# Centigrams to Scruples (cg to s ap) Source: https://www.unitconvertercalculator.com/weight/centigrams-to-scruples/ **1 cg = 0.0077161791764707 s ap** One centigram equals approximately 0.007716 scruples. The scruple, an apothecary unit of about 1.296 grams, is roughly 130 times heavier than a centigram. Both units occupy the small-mass end of their respective systems, but while the centigram is simply obscure, the scruple is genuinely extinct in modern practice - surviving only in historical texts and as a metaphor for moral doubt. ## Formula Apply the conversion factor ## Conversion Table | Centigrams (cg) | Scruples (s ap) | |---|---| | 1 cg | 0.0077161791764707 s ap | | 5 cg | 0.038580895882354 s ap | | 10 cg | 0.077161791764707 s ap | | 50 cg | 0.38580895882354 s ap | | 100 cg | 0.77161791764707 s ap | | 250 cg | 1.9290447941177 s ap | | 500 cg | 3.8580895882354 s ap | | 1000 cg | 7.7161791764707 s ap | | 2500 cg | 19.290447941177 s ap | | 5000 cg | 38.580895882354 s ap | | 10000 cg | 77.161791764707 s ap | | 50000 cg | 385.80895882354 s ap | | 100000 cg | 771.61791764707 s ap | ## Units ### Centigram (cg) A centigram is one hundredth of a gram. It is a metric unit rarely used in everyday life but appears in some scientific and educational contexts. ### Scruple (s ap) An apothecary scruple equals 20 grains or 1/3 of a dram apothecary (1.2959782 grams). A historical pharmaceutical unit largely replaced by metric measurements. ## Background A scruple (20 grains, about 1.296 grams or 129.6 centigrams) was once a standard pharmaceutical measure. A physician in the 1800s might prescribe 'two scruples of quinine' for malaria treatment. Today that dose would be written as 2,592 milligrams or 259.2 centigrams - though no modern pharmacist would use centigrams either. Both units have been displaced by the milligram. ## Good to Know The scruple's demise in pharmacy was a matter of patient safety. Having three different weight systems (avoirdupois, troy, and apothecary) in circulation caused potentially fatal dosing errors. The global adoption of the metric system in pharmacy - one gram, one milligram, one microgram - eliminated the confusion between scruples, drams, and grains that had plagued medicine for centuries. ## FAQ ### How many centigrams are in one scruple? One scruple equals approximately 129.60 centigrams. This comes from 1 scruple being about 1.296 grams and 1 gram equaling 100 centigrams. ### Is the scruple still used in any field? No. The scruple was officially abandoned by pharmacy in the mid-20th century in favor of metric units. It survives only in historical pharmaceutical texts and as an English word meaning a moral hesitation or ethical concern. ### Where does the word 'scruple' come from? From Latin 'scrupulus,' meaning a small sharp stone. The Romans used it as both a weight unit and a metaphor for a nagging worry - like a pebble in your sandal. Both meanings survived into English, though the weight unit eventually died out while the moral meaning thrived. ## Non-Frequently Asked Questions ### Is the scruple the only unit of weight that doubles as an emotion? It might be. You can have scruples about a decision and weigh scruples on a balance - same word, same etymology, completely different applications. Other units lack this dual life: nobody has a 'gram of regret' or an 'ounce of existential dread' in any literal sense, though people try. ### If I have no scruples and no centigrams, do I have nothing at all? Morally and metrically, yes. Zero scruples of conscience and zero centigrams of substance leaves you with nothing in either system. However, the complete absence of scruples is generally considered a character flaw rather than a measurement achievement. ### Would a modern pharmacist recognize a prescription written in scruples? A well-educated pharmacist would recognize the term from pharmacy history courses but would absolutely refuse to fill a prescription written in scruples. Modern pharmacy licensing requires metric-only notation. Presenting a scruple-based prescription today would trigger a call to the prescribing physician, not a trip to the compounding bench. ## Related Articles - [Why We Measure: The Deepest Urge in Human Civilisation](https://www.unitconvertercalculator.com/blog/why-we-measure) - [The Map Is Not the Territory: Why Every Measurement Is Wrong](https://www.unitconvertercalculator.com/blog/the-map-is-not-the-territory) - [Zero: The Most Dangerous Number in Measurement](https://www.unitconvertercalculator.com/blog/zero-the-most-dangerous-number-in-measurement) - [The Kilogram Problem: The Object That Was Its Own Definition](https://www.unitconvertercalculator.com/blog/the-kilogram-problem) - [The Body as a Ruler: Every Measurement Unit That Came From Us](https://www.unitconvertercalculator.com/blog/the-body-as-a-ruler) - [Why Your Recipe Is Lying to You: The Chaos of Cooking Measurements](https://www.unitconvertercalculator.com/blog/why-recipe-measurements-are-unreliable) - [15 Obscure Measurement Units You've Never Heard Of (But Still Need)](https://www.unitconvertercalculator.com/blog/obscure-measurement-units-guide) - [When Measurements Go Wrong - Disasters, Blunders and Happy Accidents](https://www.unitconvertercalculator.com/blog/when-measurements-go-wrong) - [The Surprising Stories Behind Everyday Units of Measurement](https://www.unitconvertercalculator.com/blog/stories-behind-measurement-units) - [Metric vs. Imperial - The Complete Guide to the World's Two Measurement Systems](https://www.unitconvertercalculator.com/blog/metric-vs-imperial-complete-guide) - [Understanding Weight Units - Kilograms, Pounds, Stones & Ounces](https://www.unitconvertercalculator.com/blog/understanding-weight-units) - [Complete Baking Measurement Guide - Cups, Grams, Ounces](https://www.unitconvertercalculator.com/blog/baking-measurement-guide) ## See Also - [Scruples to Centigrams](https://www.unitconvertercalculator.com/weight/scruples-to-centigrams/)