What is net weight and gross weight?

The easiest way to remember it is that "Net" is clean—it's just the product. "Gross" is everything—the product plus all the messy stuff around it. This distinction is really crucial for taxation, customs, and labeling laws. When you see a food label, the nutritional information is almost always based on the Net Weight because that's the part you actually consume! However, when calculating shipping costs, companies almost always use the Gross Weight because the total package weight is what matters for transportation.

This is an important distinction, especially in shipping, commerce, and manufacturing! The difference between Net Weight and Gross Weight all comes down to whether you are including the weight of the packaging or container. ### Net Weight (Net Wt.) * What it is: The actual weight of the product or commodity itself, excluding any packaging, container, or wrapping materials. * Think of it as: The weight of the cereal, but not the box it comes in. * Formula: $\text{Gross Weight} - \text{Tare Weight} = \text{Net Weight}$ ### Gross Weight (Gross Wt.) * What it is: The total weight of the product plus the weight of all the packaging, container, or vehicle it is being transported in. * Think of it as: The weight of the cereal plus the weight of the box. For shipping, it's the weight of the item, the box, and all the packing peanuts! * Formula: $\text{Net Weight} + \text{Tare Weight} = \text{Gross Weight}$ The term for the weight of the packaging/container only is Tare Weight.