Milliliters and liters are the most common units of volume in the metric system, and it is actually quite easy to learn the conversion steps between the two measurements.
Here we cover the ins and outs of mL to L metric conversions. By the end of this comprehensive guide, you will have the knowledge to complete all of your mL to L conversions without your Amazon Alexa.
To get your conversions in a snap, use our free mL to L calculator.
You can answer your toughest volume conversions using our mL to L calculator.
This tool converts any metric volume unit into your desired output. This easy and straightforward computational calculator will provide you with your desired conversions in a few simple steps.
To begin, select the original unit that you want to convert.
Enter the amount you want to convert in the field above. Then, you'll select the metric unit that you want your unit converted to.
The calculator comes preset mL to L but you can easily swap measurements, or choose others from the dropdown list.
Milliliters and liters are not the only units that this tool can convert.
In fact, there are a variety of metric and imperial units to choose from, making our calculator useful for more than 50 volume conversions.
A milliliter is one one-thousandth of a liter. In other words, a milliliter is about the size of a raindrop.
1 milliliter is also equal to 1 cubic centimeter.
If you think of a box that is 1 centimeter in height, width, and length, that box would perfectly hold a milliliter.
A liter is about the size of five baseballs.
A liter is equivalent to 1,000 milliliters or 1 cubic decimeter, which is 1,000 cubic centimeters.
1 Liter (L) = 1,000 Milliliters (mL)
1 mL = .001 L
To remember it easier, the prefix "milli" means "one one-thousandth of" or 1/1,000.
If you are converting milliliters to liters, you would divide the milliliters by 1,000.
Another way to convert mL to L is to move the decimal place around.
You would divide the millimeters by 1,000 or move the decimal three places to the left.
8,000 mL = 8 L
If you are converting liters to milliliters, you would multiply the liters by 1,000.
Another way to do this is to move the decimal three places to the right.
8 L = 8,000 mL
Let's put your new knowledge to the test with some mL to L practice problems.
The average water bottle holds 500 mL of water. If you were to pour 18 water bottles into a bucket, how many liters of water would you have?
Step 1: Calculate the number of milliliters there are in 18 water bottles.
500 mL x 18 water bottles = 9,000 mL
Step 2: Convert mL to L by dividing the total amount of milliliters in the bucket by 1,000, which is the number of milliliters in a liter.
9,000 mL / 1,000 mL = 9 Liters of water in the bucket.
If you have 2.8 L of orange juice and your family drinks 926 mL of your orange juice, how many liters of orange juice would you have left?
Step 1: Calculate the number of mL in 2.8 L
2.8 L x 1,000 mL = 2,800 mL
Step 2: Subtract the consumed orange juice from the original amount of orange juice.
2,800 mL - 926 mL = 1,874 mL of orange juice
Step 3: Convert the milliliters of orange juice back to liters of orange juice.
1,874 mL / 1,000 mL = 1.874 L of orange juice
Milliliters and liters are used to measure volume, which is a measurement of capacity.
Imagine if you were running a race. When you finish the race, would you rather drink a milliliter of water or a liter of water?
If you only drank a milliliter of water, you would still be very thirsty.
Milliliters and liters are used interchangeably to measure appropriate volumes.
Use milliliters to measure smaller volumes such as how much milk is in a glass or how much medication is in a syringe.
Use liters to measure larger amounts of volume such as how much water is in a bathtub or how much gasoline a tank can hold.
The liter was originally introduced back in 1795 when France defined it as one cubic decimeter.
At that time, a liter of water was equivalent to exactly one kilogram of water. When measured, it was 1.000974 of today's cubic decimeter.
It wasn't until 1879 that the International Bureau of Weights and Measures recognized the liter and assigned it an alternative symbol of a lowercase L.
This international organization was implemented to create a unification of the measurement system and international standards.
After decades of back and forth, the General Conference of Weights and Measures assigned the liter a different alternative symbol that society recognizes today, an uppercase L.
Now you know the size of a milliliter, the size of a liter, the history between the two, how to convert the two metric units and how to apply the conversions to real-life problems.
If converting mL to L is still confusing for you, keep practicing mL to L word problems to help you get the hang of the conversion.
Don't forget to use our Volume Calculator for tricky conversions and to check all of your answers.