# Average weight of a conventional teaspoon made of metal

* This article has been peer reviewed. A permanent link to peer reviewed revision is located at . A peer review statement (found here) has had its authenticity verified by the Volunteer Response Team as archived in the Wikimedia OTRS system at tickets #2012102310012296 and #2012102310012312 (accessible to users with an OTRS account).
Author: Mikael Häggström

## Abstract

To estimate the average weight of a conventional teaspoon made of metal, 19 teaspoons were weighted, and the results were used to estimate an average weight of approximately 25 grams (confidence interval: 22 to 28 grams).

## Objective

To estimate the average weight of a conventional teaspoon made of metal.

## Method

19 teaspoons were gathered. The inclusion criterion was to be considered to be a conventional teaspoon made of metal by both the provider and author of the study. Teaspoons with handles partially made of plastic were also accepted. Each teaspoon was weighted with a digital scale of the model “AWS-100 Digital Pocket Scale”. Specifics of individual teaspoons are given in table in the “results” section.

## Results

| No. | Engraved description | Source | Weight (grams) |
| 1 | (none) | Walmart (high price class) | 45.6 g |
| 2 | Amefa Stainless Steel | Amazon.com | 15.0 g |
| 3 | COOKS CLUB CHINA | household in Grand Rapids | 26.9 g |
| 4 | Royal Norfolk 18/0 Stainless China | Family Dollar | 26.5 g |
| 5 | Springtime STAINLESS JAPAN | household in Grand Rapids | 39.4 g |
| 6 | STAINLESS CHINA 23 | Trueways, King Drive | 19.7 |
| 7 | STAINLESS CHINA | Cottage Groove Food Mart | 12.5 g |
| 8 | STAINLESS CHINA | Family Dollar | 28.2 g |
| 9 | STAINLESS CHINA | Walmart (medium price class) | 17.7 g |
| 10 | STAINLESS CHINA | Walmart (low price class) | 28.6 g |
| 11 | Stainless China | Trueways, King Drive | 24.2 g |
| 12 | STAINLESS CHINA STEEL | Trueways, King Drive | 21.6 g |
| 13 | STAINLESS STEEL | Family Dollar | 21.8 g |
| 14 | STAINLESS STEEL | Family Dollar | 24.1 g |
| 15 | STAINLESS STEEL JAPAN Victoria | household in Grand Rapids | 22.3 g |
| 16 | STAINLESS STEEL WB/W O.F.H. | Trueways, King Drive | 21.1 g |
| 17 | TAIWAN INTERNATIONAL STAINLESS | Trueways, King Drive | 32.0 g |
| 18 | WM.A.ROGERS STAINLESS Oneida Ltd. | Trueways, King Drive | 22.6 g |
| 19 | WMF CROMARGAN | Amazon.com | 24.2 g |
The average weight and its confidence interval was calculated by entering the resultant values above in an OpenOffice spreadsheet, with teaspoon description being entered in column A, corresponding weights in column B, formulas for the calculation of averages and confidence intervals in column E, and their designations in column D. Column F displays the formulas used in column E for clarity:
| | A | B (weight) | D | E | F |
| 1 | Walmart-spoon of high price class | 45.6 | Count of observations | 19 | =COUNT(B1:B100) |
| 2 | Amefa-spoon | 15 | Sample mean | 24.95 | =AVERAGE(B1:B100) |
| 3 | Cooks Club | 26.9 | Sample variance | 38.19 | =VAR(B2:B196) |
| 4 | Royal Norfolk | 26.5 | Estimate of standard error | 1.42 | =SQRT(E3/E1) |
| 5 | Springtime | 39.4 | Degrees of freedom | 18 | =E1-1 |
| 6 | 23 from Trueways | 19.7 | t value | 2.1 | =TINV(0.05,E5) |
| 7 | Spoon from Cottage Groove | 12.5 | Margin of error | 2.98 | =(E6*E4) |
| 8 | Broad-based, from Family Dollar | 28.2 | Margin of error % | 12% | =E7/E2 |
| 9 | Walmart-spoon of medium price class | 17.7 | Lower limit of 95% confidence interval | 21.97 | =E2-E7 |
| 10 | Walmart-spoon of low price class | 28.6 | Upper limit of 95% confidence interval | 27.93 | =E2+E7 |
| 11 | Spoon with bolted plastic handle | 24.2 | | | |
| 12 | Trueways-spoon with straight lines | 21.6 | | | |
| 13 | Family Dollar-poon with straight lines | 21.8 | | | |
| 14 | Not broad-based, from Family Dollar | 24.1 | | | |
| 15 | Victoria | 22.3 | | | |
| 16 | OHF | 21.1 | | | |
| 17 | Taiwan | 32 | | | |
| 18 | Rogers | 22.6 | | | |
| 19 | WMF Cromargan | 24.2 | | | |
The spreadsheet gave the result that the sample mean was approximately 25 g, with a 95% confidence interval of approximately 22 g to 28 g.

## Discussion

Considering that a majority of the teaspoons were imported, the result can be considered to be fairly generalizable in a global perspective.

## Conclusion

A conventional teaspoon made of metal weighs, on average, approximately 25 grams (95% confidence interval: 22 to 28 grams).

## Conflict of interest

None declared by author.