What this calculator does
A microlitre (µL) is one-thousandth of a millilitre, so converting mL to µL is a fixed multiplication by 1,000, and converting µL to mL is that same factor in reverse. This calculator handles either direction and also shows the equivalent in litres.
This is a lab and scientific-context conversion: pipettes are commonly set and read in microlitres, while reagent volumes, sample sizes and dosing are often specified in millilitres, so moving between the two comes up constantly when following a protocol or preparing a solution.
The formula
Multiply the millilitre value by 1,000 to get microlitres, since 1 mL = 1,000 µL exactly. To convert the other way, divide the microlitre value by 1,000 to get millilitres.
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| mL | Millilitre, one-thousandth of a litre. |
| µL | Microlitre, one-millionth of a litre, or one-thousandth of a millilitre. |
| 1,000 | The fixed number of microlitres in one millilitre. |
The inputs explained
| Field | What to enter |
|---|---|
| Value | The value to convert: millilitres if converting to microlitres, or microlitres if converting to millilitres. |
| Convert | Choose which direction you are converting. |
When to use it
Setting a pipette from a protocol volume
A lab protocol written in millilitres, such as "add 0.5 mL of reagent", needs converting to microlitres if the pipette on hand is set and read in µL.
Reading a small-volume result back into mL
Instruments that measure tiny volumes, such as micropipettes or flow assays, often report in microlitres; converting that figure back to millilitres puts it on the same scale as the rest of a recipe or protocol.
Checking a dilution or dosing calculation
Where a formulation mixes reagents specified in both units, converting everything to one unit first avoids an order-of-magnitude error before mixing.
Worked examples
Every figure in the tables below is produced by this page’s own calculator at build time, so the numbers and the tool always agree. Select any row to load that scenario.
How many microlitres is a given number of millilitres?
A range of small volumes, from a tenth of a millilitre up to 100 mL, converted to microlitres.
| Millilitres | Microlitres | In litres |
|---|---|---|
| 0.1 mL | 100.00 µL | 0.000100 L |
| 0.5 mL | 500.00 µL | 0.000500 L |
| 1 mL | 1,000.00 µL | 0.001000 L |
| 5 mL | 5,000.00 µL | 0.005000 L |
| 10 mL | 10,000.00 µL | 0.010000 L |
| 100 mL | 100,000.00 µL | 0.100000 L |
How many millilitres is a given number of microlitres?
A range of pipette-scale volumes converted back to millilitres.
| Microlitres | Millilitres | In litres |
|---|---|---|
| 100 µL | 0.100000 mL | 0.000100 L |
| 200 µL | 0.200000 mL | 0.000200 L |
| 500 µL | 0.500000 mL | 0.000500 L |
| 1,000 µL | 1.0000 mL | 0.001000 L |
| 10,000 µL | 10.0000 mL | 0.010000 L |
Questions
How many microlitres are in a millilitre?
Exactly 1,000 microlitres in one millilitre, a fixed factor with no rounding.
What is 100 µL in mL?
0.1 mL (100 ÷ 1,000), a common single dose volume on a P100 or P200 micropipette.
Is a microlitre the same as a cubic millimetre?
Yes. 1 microlitre is exactly 1 cubic millimetre, since both are defined as one-millionth of a litre; the two units are used interchangeably in some technical fields.
Why does lab work use microlitres instead of millilitres?
Many lab procedures, such as PCR reactions or small-volume assays, work with volumes far smaller than a millilitre, where microlitres give a more precise and practical whole-number scale to measure and record.
For the equivalent conversion at the cubic centimetre scale, see the cm3 to mL calculator.