How Do I Convert From Microliters to Liters?

Scientific experiments use metric measurements.

The metric system is a measurement system developed in the 18th century and used in many parts of the world and in the scientific community. It is based on divisions and multiples of 10 to mirror our numeric system, which is also based on the number 10. A liter is a basic unit of volume in the metric system, equivalent to 0.264 U.S. gallons. A microliter equals one-millionth of a liter.

Instructions

Calculate Manually

1. Begin with a volume in microliters, 500 microliters, for example. If necessary, add zeros in front of the number so you have seven digits before the decimal point. So you would write 500 as 0000500.

2. Count six decimal places to the left from the right hand side of the number 500.

3. Move the decimal point six places to the left: 0.000500. This works because one million is a multiple of ten. The answer is that 500 microliters equals 0.0005 liters.

Use a Calculator

1. Enter the number of microliters in the calculator. Use 500 as in the example above.

2. Press the divide symbol.

3. Enter the number 1,000,000.

4. Press the equals symbol. The calculator will display the answer: 0.000500, the same answer you would get from the pencil-and-paper calculation above.

References

• Russ Rowlett and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill: The Metric System