Milliliters (ml) to Milligrams (mg) Converter
Accurately convert liquid volume to mass for medication dosages and chemistry. Requires substance density for precision.
About
Converting milliliters (ml) to milligrams (mg) is a common task in pharmacology, nursing, and chemistry. Unlike simple unit changes, this conversion requires knowledge of the substance's density or concentration. One milliliter of water weighs exactly 1,000 mg, but liquids like syrups, mercury, or oil have different densities, altering the resulting mass.
This tool prevents dosage errors by mandating a density input. In medical contexts, "concentration" is often listed on the bottle (e.g., 20 mg/ml). If you are working with pure substances, you need the physical density (usually in g/ml). Getting this variable right is critical for patient safety, especially in pediatric or geriatric dosing where margins for error are slim.
Formulas
The calculation depends on the unit of the density provided. The base physics formula involves volume and density:
Where:
- m = Mass (mg)
- V = Volume (ml)
- ρ = Density
Case 1: Density in g/ml (Standard physical property)
Case 2: Concentration in mg/ml (Common on medicine labels)
Reference Data
| Substance | Density (g/ml) | 1 ml equals... | 5 ml (tsp) equals... |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water (Standard) | 1.0 | 1,000 mg | 5,000 mg |
| Ethanol | 0.789 | 789 mg | 3,945 mg |
| Olive Oil | 0.92 | 920 mg | 4,600 mg |
| Milk | 1.03 | 1,030 mg | 5,150 mg |
| Glycerin | 1.26 | 1,260 mg | 6,300 mg |
| Honey | 1.42 | 1,420 mg | 7,100 mg |
| Mercury | 13.53 | 13,530 mg | 67,650 mg |
| Liquid Suspension (Light) | ~1.1 | 1,100 mg | 5,500 mg |
| Syrup (Dense) | ~1.3 | 1,300 mg | 6,500 mg |