I have used 120 g. for AP, bread and cake fours for various recipes (King Arthur system) to great success. As explained by KA sifted and I sifted flour can account for nearly 20% difference in weight and as you've read below depending on method your weight can also vary. My suggestion is to take one weight whether it be 120g, 125 g, or 130 g and stick to it for the particular flour you're using. This way you will be consistent in your baking. Keep a diary of your recipes with the weights you use for each ingredient. That way you will perfect your recipes and turn out consistent results that your are happy about.
PS - I weigh EVERY ingredient except for Ingredients that are less than two grams because most scales threshold is one gram and are woefully inaccurate below two grams. I do this because the recipe become ratios and percentages that can be adjusted easily in my mind instead of separate and distinct elements that have no relation to each other. As an example, I was able to converted a cinnamon roll recipe from a quick rise to a recipe with a preferment because I understood I needed a ratio of 1:1 of flour to water and was able to rework the recipe accordingly. I would not have been able to do it if I was working with volume.
I just tried for myself. I tared a measuring beaker, then tipped in 500ml of plain white flour. It weighed 374g, or 187g per cup. That's quite a bit more than the "standard" values, that range from 125 to 150g.
When compacted by tapping it vigorously on the bench, the volume went down to 450ml (10% compaction).
It also depends on how it was originally measured. For example, for me it is always 126 g (King Arthur unbleached AP), BUT that is the fluff, spoon and sweep method. I always check first to see what the recipe author did, and if they scoop, like Barefoot Contessa for example, it will be more than 126 g.
There's no standard answer. As flours will vary by region and sometimes season. Southern AP flour (Such as Gold Medal, White Lilly) is softer. 130g/cup. While USDA standard AP is 125g/cup.
I use this chart.
http://www.recipesource.com/misc/hints/flour-weights01.html
It might be best to Google the specific brand of flour for weight/cup.
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When compacted by tapping it vigorously on the bench, the volume went down to 450ml (10% compaction).
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I use this chart.
http://www.recipesource.com/misc/hints/flour-weights01.html
It might be best to Google the specific brand of flour for weight/cup.
http://www.traditionaloven.com/conversions_of_measures/flour_volume_weight.html