Which unit would you use to measure slug body mass in a standard biology experiment?

• A. Pounds (lb)
• B. Ounces (oz)
• C. Kilograms (kg)
• D. Grams (g) or milligrams (mg) for precision

Answer: (D)

Mass is measured with the metric system in biology, and slug body mass falls in the small-to-moderate grams range. Using grams or milligrams is the most practical choice because it matches the typical size of the organism and pairs well with common lab balances that read to the nearest milligram. Pounds and ounces are imperial units and are not standard in scientific work, and kilograms, while valid, would give you numbers that are less intuitive for a slug’s mass (like a few hundredths of a kilogram). Grams let you express the mass in a convenient, easy-to-read number, and milligrams offer extra precision if you need to detect small differences. So grams for general use, with milligrams when higher precision is needed, is the best fit for measuring slug body mass.