Quick answer: 1 liter (l) is equal to 1000 milliliters (mL).
When working with liquid volumes in cooking, science experiments, or other applications, it’s important to understand the relationship between liters (l) and milliliters (mL). While the liter is a larger unit of volume, the milliliter allows for more precise measurements of small amounts.
In this article, we’ll look at the definitions of liters and milliliters, do a comparison of the two units, and provide a conversion chart to help translate between them. Understanding how to move between these volume units can ensure accuracy in recipes, lab procedures, and other liquid measuring needs.
What is a Liter?
A liter is a metric unit of volume. The exact definition of one liter is:
- 1 liter = 1 cubic decimeter (dm3)
- 1 liter = 1000 cubic centimeters (cm3)
A cubic decimeter is the volume contained in a cube that measures 10 centimeters on each side. Since a centimeter is one hundredth of a meter, a cubic decimeter equates to the volume of a 1/10 meter by 1/10 meter by 1/10 meter cube.
Liters are a relatively large standard unit for measuring liquid volumes. For example, a 2-liter bottle of soda contains 2 liters or 2000 mL of soda.
What is a Milliliter?
A milliliter is 1/1000 of a liter. The definition of one milliliter is:
- 1 milliliter = 1 cubic centimeter (cm3)
- 1 milliliter = 0.001 liter
A cubic centimeter is the volume contained in a cube that measures 1 centimeter on each side. Since a centimeter is 1/100 of a meter, a cubic centimeter equates to the volume of a 1/100 meter by 1/100 meter by 1/100 meter cube.
Milliliters are commonly used to precisely measure small amounts of liquids, especially in scientific contexts. For example, a chemistry experiment may call for 25 milliliters of a liquid reagent.
Comparing Liters and Milliliters
As the definitions show, the main difference between liters and milliliters is the size of the unit. A liter is 1000 times larger than a milliliter. Some key comparisons:
- 1 liter = 1000 mL
- 1 milliliter = 0.001 liters
- 1 mL is about 0.2% of 1 liter
Think of the relationship between liters and milliliters like kilometers and meters:
- 1 kilometer = 1000 meters
- 1 meter = 0.001 kilometer
While liters and milliliters have this clear mathematical relationship, their usage depends on context. For example:
- Liters are good for measuring large volumes like bottles of soda, jugs of milk, or aquarium sizes.
- Milliliters are good for measuring small amounts like ingredients for recipes, chemicals for experiments, or doses of medicine.
Converting Between Liters and Milliliters
Since liters and milliliters are so closely related, converting between them is straightforward:
- To convert liters to milliliters, multiply the liter amount by 1000
- To convert milliliters to liters, divide the milliliter amount by 1000
For example:
- 5 liters x 1000 = 5000 mL
- 750 mL / 1000 = 0.75 L
Here is a handy reference chart for converting between liters and milliliters:
| Liters | Milliliters |
|---|---|
| 1 liter | 1000 milliliters |
| 2 liters | 2000 milliliters |
| 5 liters | 5000 milliliters |
Metric Conversions
Since liters and milliliters are part of the metric system, they can easily be converted to other metric volume units like cubic meters and cubic centimeters.
Some common metric volume conversions include:
- 1 cubic meter (m3) = 1000 liters
- 1 liter (L) = 1000 cubic centimeters (cm3)
- 1 cubic centimeter (cm3) = 1 milliliter (mL)
US Customary Conversions
Liters and milliliters can also be converted to US customary volume units like gallons, quarts, ounces, and cups, although the conversion factors are not as straightforward.
Some example conversions:
- 1 liter = 1.0567 quarts
- 1 liter = 0.26417 gallons
- 1 milliliter = 0.033814 fluid ounces
- 240 milliliters = 1 cup
Because US customary units are not based on powers of 10 like metric units, converting between systems can introduce rounding errors. Care should be taken to minimize inaccuracies.
Using Liters vs. Milliliters
Whether to use liters or milliliters depends on the context and desired precision:
- Liters are good for measuring large volumes like soda bottles, gas tanks, swimming pools, or water jugs.
- Milliliters are good for measuring small amounts like medicine doses, lab chemicals, or food ingredients.
Some examples:
- Gasoline tank size: 50 liters
- Syrup dose: 250 milliliters
- Milk jug: 1 liter
- Eyedropper: 5 milliliters
For volumes in between, either may be appropriate depending on the specific case. The key is being consistent within a given situation.
Cooking
In cooking recipes, milliliters or liters may be used depending on the amounts involved:
- Liters for quantities like “2 liters vegetable oil”
- Milliliters for small amounts like “300 mL vanilla extract”
Using milliliters allows the measurement of tablespoons and teaspoons for precision. Some common equivalents are:
- 15 milliliters = 1 tablespoon
- 5 milliliters = 1 teaspoon
Lab Experiments
For chemistry and biology labs, milliliters and liters are standard for measuring experimental reagents:
- Liters to measure large reagent volumes
- Milliliters to precisely measure small reagent amounts
Pipettes commonly dispense in milliliter and microliter increments.
Medicine
Medicine doses are usually described in milliliters, especially for liquids:
- Cough syrup: 30 mL per dose
- Nasal spray: 0.1 mL per spray
Larger volume medications may be described in liters, for example IV bags.
Pro Tips
Here are some useful tips for working with liters and milliliters:
- Memorize the basic conversions like 1 L = 1000 mL and 1 mL = 0.001 L
- Carry a metric conversion chart for reference
- Be consistent within a given situation – don’t mix units
- Use liters for volumes like tanks, pools, large containers
- Use milliliters for precise small amounts like in recipes or experiments
- Estimate to check if conversions are reasonable
Example Problems
Here are some example problems to practice converting between liters and milliliters:
Problem 1
Convert a volume of 250 mL to liters.
Solution:
Use the unit conversion:
250 mL x (1 L / 1000 mL) = 0.25 L
Problem 2
Convert a volume of 5 L to milliliters.
Solution:
Use the unit conversion:
5 L x (1000 mL / 1 L) = 5000 mL
Problem 3
If a gas can holds 25 L, how many milliliters does it hold?
Solution:
First convert 25 L to mL:
25 L x (1000 mL / 1 L) = 25000 mL
So the 25 L gas can holds 25000 mL.
Conclusion
In summary, 1 liter is equivalent to 1000 milliliters. The liter is the larger base unit, while the milliliter allows for more precise measurement. Quick conversions can be done by remembering:
- 1 L = 1000 mL
- 1 mL = 0.001 L
Liters are commonly used for measuring large volumes like soda bottles or gas tanks, while milliliters are used for small amounts like medicine doses or lab reagents. Being comfortable converting between liters and milliliters allows exact measurements in cooking, experiments, and other applications involving liquid volumes.
