Quick reference table
Common mass concentration conversions
| From | To |
|---|---|
| 1 mg/dL | 1 mg/L |
| 1 mg/L | 0.1 mg/dL |
| 1 ppm | 1 mg/L |
| 1 gr/gal | 17.11806105 mg/L |
| 1 g/L | 0.1 g/dL |
| 1 µg/mL | 1 mg/L |
How to convert mass concentration
Mass concentration is how much of a substance is dissolved per volume of solution. Water quality uses mg/L and ppm, blood tests use mg/dL, and brewing and gardening use grams per liter. Note that ppm equals mg/L only for dilute solutions in water.
Every mass concentration unit is a fixed multiple of one base unit, the g/L. To convert a value, multiply it by the size of the starting unit and divide by the size of the target unit. For example, to convert mg/dL to mg/L, multiply by 1. To go the other way, divide by 1.
The converter above does this for you and shows the exact formula under the result.
Worked examples
Milligrams per deciliter to Milligrams per liter
| Milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL) | Milligrams per liter (mg/L) |
|---|---|
| 1 mg/dL | 1 mg/L |
| 2 mg/dL | 2 mg/L |
| 5 mg/dL | 5 mg/L |
| 10 mg/dL | 1 mg/L |
| 25 mg/dL | 25 mg/L |
| 50 mg/dL | 5 mg/L |
| 100 mg/dL | 1 mg/L |
| 1,000 mg/dL | 1 mg/L |
Milligrams per liter to Milligrams per deciliter
| Milligrams per liter (mg/L) | Milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL) |
|---|---|
| 1 mg/L | 0.1 mg/dL |
| 2 mg/L | 0.2 mg/dL |
| 5 mg/L | 0.5 mg/dL |
| 10 mg/L | 1.0 mg/dL |
| 25 mg/L | 2.5 mg/dL |
| 50 mg/L | 5.0 mg/dL |
| 100 mg/L | 10.0 mg/dL |
| 1,000 mg/L | 100.0 mg/dL |
Mass concentration units explained
| Unit | Symbol | Equals |
|---|---|---|
| Grams per liter | g/L | 1 g/L = 1 g/L |
| Kilograms per cubic meter | kg/m³ | 1 kg/m³ = 1 g/L |
| Milligrams per liter | mg/L | 1 mg/L = 0.001 g/L |
| Micrograms per liter | µg/L | 1 µg/L = 0.000001 g/L |
| Nanograms per liter | ng/L | 1 ng/L = 1 × 10⁻⁹ g/L |
| Milligrams per milliliter | mg/mL | 1 mg/mL = 1 g/L |
| Micrograms per milliliter | µg/mL | 1 µg/mL = 0.001 g/L |
| Grams per milliliter | g/mL | 1 g/mL = 1,000 g/L |
| Grams per deciliter | g/dL | 1 g/dL = 10 g/L |
| Milligrams per deciliter | mg/dL | 1 mg/dL = 0.01 g/L |
| Parts per million (in water) | ppm | 1 ppm = 0.001 g/L |
| Parts per billion (in water) | ppb | 1 ppb = 0.000001 g/L |
| Ounces per US gallon | oz/gal | 1 oz/gal = 7.48915170731 g/L |
| Grains per US gallon | gr/gal | 1 gr/gal = 0.0171180610453 g/L |
| Pounds per US gallon | lb/gal | 1 lb/gal = 119.826427317 g/L |
Popular conversions: ppm to mg/l, mg/dl to mg/l, grains per gallon to ppm.
Frequently asked questions
Is 1 ppm equal to 1 mg/L?
In dilute water solutions, yes: 1 ppm is 1 mg/L. For other liquids or high concentrations the two differ.
How many mg/L is 1 grain per gallon?
One grain per US gallon is about 17.12 mg/L, which is how water hardness is often reported.
How do I convert mg/dL to mg/L?
Multiply the value in mg/dL by 1 to get mg/L. For example, 10 mg/dL = 1 mg/L.
How many mg/L is 1 mg/dL?
1 mg/dL = 1 mg/L, and 1 mg/L = 0.1 mg/dL.
Does this mass concentration converter work offline?
Yes. After the page has loaded once, all calculations run in your browser, so it keeps working without an internet connection.