Gross (unit) facts for kids

A gross is a special way to count things, especially when you have a lot of them! Imagine a dozen is 12 items. Well, a gross is like having 12 dozens, which means it's a total of 144 items.

Sometimes, people use even bigger numbers:

• A great gross is a dozen gross, which means 1,728 items. That's a lot!
• A small gross or great hundred is used for ten dozen items, which equals 120 items.

If you see a shop advertising to sell a product en gros, it means they are selling larger amounts, usually for a lower price per item. This is often called "wholesale."

What is a Gross?

A gross is a specific unit of measurement used for counting items. It's a handy way to talk about a large number of things without saying "one hundred forty-four" every time. Think of it like how a "dozen" means 12. A gross is just a bigger group!

How Many Items are in a Gross?

When someone says they have a gross of something, they mean they have 144 of that item. This number comes from multiplying 12 by 12, because a gross is equal to 12 dozens. It's often used for things like pencils, buttons, or small parts.

Even Bigger: The Great Gross

If you need to count an even larger amount, there's the great gross. A great gross is equal to 12 gross. If you do the math, that's 12 multiplied by 144, which gives you a huge total of 1,728 items! This term is not used very often today, but it shows how people created ways to count very large quantities.

A Slightly Smaller Group: Small Gross

Sometimes, you might hear the term small gross or great hundred. This refers to a group of 120 items. It's like having ten dozens. While "gross" (144) is the main term, "small gross" was another way to group items in a specific quantity.

Buying 'En Gros' (Wholesale)

When a business sells items en gros, it means they are selling them in large quantities, often to other businesses or retailers. This is also known as wholesale. When you buy something wholesale, you usually get a lower price per item because you are buying so many at once. It's a common practice for shops that need to stock up on products.

Images for kids

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  A robot, just for fun!