Whether you’re following a recipe, measuring out ingredients for a science experiment, or trying to figure out if you can bring a certain size container of liquid on an airplane, you’ve probably wondered how ounces and milliliters compare. Specifically, is 5 oz exactly equal to 150 ml? While the metric and imperial measurement systems are different, there are some straightforward conversions between ounces and milliliters that can help answer this question. Keep reading to learn more about making conversions between these two units of volume.
The Metric and Imperial Measurement Systems
The metric system, also known as the International System of Units (SI), is used as the standard system of measurement for most of the world. Metric units include grams, meters, liters, and degrees Celsius. The metric system is based on powers of 10, making conversions between different units simple.
The imperial system is the traditional system of measurement used in the United States. Units in the imperial system include ounces, pounds, feet, miles, and degrees Fahrenheit. Unlike the metric system, imperial units are not related by powers of 10, so converting between units can be more complicated.
While most of the world uses the metric system, the United States still widely uses imperial units in addition to metric units. It’s important to understand the differences between the two measurement systems and how to convert between them.
Metric Volume Measurements
In the metric system, volume is measured in liters and milliliters. The base unit of volume is the liter. A liter is a little more than 1 quart in volume.
1 liter = 1000 milliliters
Milliliters are used to measure smaller amounts of volume. 1 milliliter is equal to about 0.034 fluid ounces. Some common metric volume measurements are:
– 1 liter (L) = 1000 milliliters
– 500 milliliters (ml) = 0.5 liters
– 250 milliliters = 0.25 liters
– 100 milliliters = 0.1 liters
Imperial Volume Measurements
In the imperial system, volume is measured in fluid ounces, cups, pints, quarts, and gallons. The most common unit for measuring smaller amounts of liquid is the fluid ounce.
Some common imperial volume measurements are:
– 1 gallon = 4 quarts
– 1 quart = 2 pints = 32 fluid ounces
– 1 pint = 2 cups = 16 fluid ounces
– 1 cup = 8 fluid ounces
– 1 fluid ounce = about 30 milliliters
So while metric units are related by factors of 10, imperial units are related by multiples of 2 when converting volume.
Converting Between Ounces and Milliliters
To convert between fluid ounces and milliliters, we need to know the conversion factor between these units.
1 fluid ounce = 29.5735 milliliters
This conversion factor allows us to convert any volume between fluid ounces and milliliters. For example:
– 5 fluid ounces x (29.5735 milliliters/1 fluid ounce) = 147.8675 ml
– 150 ml x (1 fluid ounce/29.5735 ml) = 5.07 fluid ounces
Let’s look specifically at converting 5 fluid ounces to milliliters:
5 fluid ounces x (29.5735 milliliters/1 fluid ounce) = 147.8675 ml
So 5 fluid ounces is equal to about 147.87 milliliters. Since milliliters are measured to the nearest whole number, we can round 147.8675 ml to 148 ml.
Therefore, 5 oz is approximately equal to 150 ml, although not exactly 150 ml. The exact conversion of 5 oz to ml is 147.8675 ml.
Typical Volumes for 5 oz and 150 ml
To get a better idea of the size of 5 oz versus 150 ml, let’s look at some typical volumes that are about 5 oz or 150 ml.
Typical volumes close to 5 fluid ounces:
– Small yogurt container (5.3 oz)
– Single-serve juice box (4.23 oz)
– Small coffee (4 oz)
– 1/2 cup measuring cup (4 oz)
– Shot of liquor (1.5 oz) x 3
Typical volumes close to 150 milliliters:
– Small yogurt drink carton (125 ml)
– Individual milk carton (150 ml)
– Small soda can (150 ml)
– Double shot of espresso (60 ml x 2)
While not exactly the same volume, these examples give a sense of the size of containers or products that are in the neighborhood of 5 oz or 150 ml.
When the Exact Conversion Matters
While 5 oz and 150 ml are very close in volume, there are some situations where you need to be careful about assuming they are equal:
Cooking and baking:
Substituting 5 oz and 150 ml could throw off recipe measurements and cause issues with how a recipe turns out. When precisely following a recipe, you should convert carefully between ounces and milliliters instead of substituting one for the other.
Scientific experiments:
When performing experiments, measurements need to be as accurate as possible. Use care when converting between fluid ounces and milliliters and don’t assume conversions are exact.
Determining liquid amounts for air travel:
Many airports restrict the amount of liquids passengers can bring on board to milliliter amounts. Be sure to check guidelines and convert fluid ounces to milliliters accurately.
Giving medication doses:
Dosing for liquid medicines or supplements should be carefully measured, not estimated between ounces and milliliters. Consult dosing directions and use an appropriate measuring tool. Don’t substitute units.
milliliters to fluid ounces conversion table
| Milliliters | Fluid Ounces |
|---|---|
| 10 ml | 0.34 fl oz |
| 25 ml | 0.85 fl oz |
| 50 ml | 1.69 fl oz |
| 100 ml | 3.38 fl oz |
| 150 ml | 5.07 fl oz |
| 200 ml | 6.76 fl oz |
| 250 ml | 8.45 fl oz |
| 500 ml | 16.91 fl oz |
| 750 ml | 25.36 fl oz |
| 1000 ml | 33.81 fl oz |
This table provides some common milliliter to fluid ounce conversions. You can reference this when you need to convert volumes between ml and fl oz.
Fluid Ounces to Milliliters Conversion Table
| Fluid Ounces | Milliliters |
|---|---|
| 1 fl oz | 29.57 ml |
| 2 fl oz | 59.15 ml |
| 3 fl oz | 88.72 ml |
| 4 fl oz | 118.30 ml |
| 5 fl oz | 147.87 ml |
| 6 fl oz | 177.45 ml |
| 7 fl oz | 207.02 ml |
| 8 fl oz | 236.60 ml |
| 12 fl oz | 354.90 ml |
| 16 fl oz | 473.20 ml |
This table provides some common fluid ounce to milliliter conversions. Use this for handy reference when converting volumes between fl oz and ml.
Converting 5 Ounces to 150 ml in Cooking
Cooking is one scenario where precisely converting between ounces and milliliters makes a difference. For example, say you are following a recipe that calls for 5 oz (about 150 ml) of liquid. Should you measure out exactly 150 ml instead of 5 oz?
Using the conversion factor, we find:
5 fl oz x (29.5735 ml/1 fl oz) = 147.8675 ml
So 150 ml is actually about 2 ml more than 5 oz.
Those 2 extra ml won’t make a big difference in most recipes, but for baking it could throw off the right texture or consistency. So it’s best to carefully measure 5 oz with a measuring cup or spoon instead of approximating with 150 ml.
Tips for converting volume amounts in cooking and baking:
– Use online converters to double check ounces/milliliters conversions
– Have both liquid measuring cups and milliliter measuring tools on hand
– Stick to using just ounces OR milliliters within any single recipe
– Don’t substitute 5 oz for 150 ml; measure precisely
– For small amounts, the conversion difference matters more
Taking the extra time to measure carefully will give you the best results with your recipes.
Does the Difference Between 5 oz and 150 ml Matter?
In summary, while 5 fluid ounces and 150 milliliters are very close in volume, they are not exactly equivalent. The precise conversion is:
5 fluid ounces = 147.87 ml
So there is about a 2 ml difference between 5 oz and 150 ml. In many everyday situations, this small difference won’t make a noticeable change, and you can substitute 5 oz for 150 ml. However, there are some cases where precision is important, including cooking, experiments, medicine, and air travel liquids.
To convert accurately between fluid ounces and milliliters:
– Use the unit conversion: 1 fl oz = 29.5735 ml
– Reference handy fl oz to ml conversion tables
– Use online converters to check your work
– Don’t try to memorize equivalents like 5 oz = 150 ml; convert numbers directly
So be mindful that 5 oz does not equal exactly 150 ml. But for general purposes, their volumes are close enough that you can make reasonable substitutions in non-precision situations. When precision matters, take the time to convert carefully.
