Cups to Ounces Converter - (c to oz)

How to Convert Cups to Ounces

Since cups are a unit of volume and ounces are a unit of mass, which are different physical quantities, we need to know one more physical quantity of the ingredient or substance to convert between them. In this case, we need to account for the density of the substance whenever we do a conversion.

Therefore, to convert between cups and ounces of an ingredient or substance, we must either multiply or divide by its density, depending on which direction we are performing the conversion.

Cups to Ounces Formula

To convert a measurement in cups to ounces, multiply the volume by the density of the ingredient or material. Note that in order for this to work, the density must be in ounces per cup (oz/c).

If the density is given in grams per milliliter (g/mL), then first multiply the density by 8.3454 to convert to oz/c.

For a density given in g/mL, you can use this simple formula to convert:

ounces = cups × 8.3454 × density

Thus, the weight in ounces is equal to the volume in cups multiplied by 8.3454 times the density (in g/mL) of the ingredient, substance, or material.

For example, here's how to convert 5 cups to ounces for an ingredient with a density of 0.7 g/mL.

ounces = 5 c × 8.3454 × 0.7 g/mL = 29.2089 oz

This formula is for converting to ounces in weight, if you're trying to convert to a volume measurement in fluid ounces, try our cups to fluid ounces calculator.

When to Convert Cups to Ounces

Cups and ounces are both commonly used to measure cooking ingredients.

For cooking applications, most chefs suggest measuring dry ingredients by weight rather than volume to improve accuracy in the measurements.^[1] The density of dry ingredients can vary for a variety of reasons, such as compaction and clumping.

The best way to ensure an accurate conversion is to use a scale. When a scale is not available, a calculator like the one above is a good way to estimate the volume to weight conversion.

For cooking and baking ingredients, you can get more specific results using our butter, flour, and sugar conversion calculators.

Another useful application of weight and volume conversions is chemistry. When performing chemical reactions by combining separate chemicals to produce a new chemical, one must know the exact amount of each chemical to add in order to maximize the yield of the reaction.

It is common to mix powdered chemicals with liquid, or aqueous, chemicals, and this is where it becomes very useful to convert between weights and volumes.^[2]

Keep reading to learn more about each unit of measure.

How Many Ounces Are in a Cup?

The actual weight of a cup will vary depending on the density of the material. The table below shows how many ounces of various wet and dry ingredients are in a cup.

Cup measurements converted to ounces for commonly used cooking and baking ingredients.
Volume in Cups:	Weight in Ounces of:
Volume in Cups:	Water	Milk	Cooking Oil	All Purpose Flour	Granulated Sugar
1/8 c	1.0432 oz	1.0745 oz	0.917994 oz	0.55184 oz	0.881849 oz
1/4 c	2.0864 oz	2.1489 oz	1.836 oz	1.1037 oz	1.7637 oz
1/3 c	2.7818 oz	2.8653 oz	2.448 oz	1.4716 oz	2.3516 oz
1/2 c	4.1727 oz	4.2979 oz	3.672 oz	2.2074 oz	3.5274 oz
2/3 c	5.5636 oz	5.7305 oz	4.896 oz	2.9431 oz	4.7032 oz
3/4 c	6.2591 oz	6.4468 oz	5.508 oz	3.311 oz	5.2911 oz
1 c	8.3454 oz	8.5958 oz	7.344 oz	4.4147 oz	7.0548 oz

What Is a Cup?

The cup is a unit of volume equal to 16 tablespoons or 8 fluid ounces. The cup should not be confused with the metric cup or the teacup, which are different units of volume.

One cup is equal to 236.588 milliliters, but in nutrition labeling, one cup is defined as 240 milliliters.^[3] To further confuse things, a metric cup is equal to 250 mL, while in Japan, a cup is equivalent to only 200 mL.

The cup is a US customary unit of volume. Cups can be abbreviated as c, and are also sometimes abbreviated as C. For example, 1 cup can be written as 1 c or 1 C.

Learn more about cups.

What Is an Ounce?

One ounce is a unit of mass/weight equal to 1/16 of a pound or 28.349523 grams. The common ounce should not be confused with the troy ounce, which is equal to 1/12 of a troy pound.^[4]

The ounce is a US customary and imperial unit of mass. Ounces can be abbreviated as oz; for example, 1 ounce can be written as 1 oz.

An ounce is also frequently referred to as a unit of weight. While technically, an ounce is a measure of mass, and weight is actually a measure of force, the two are equivalent as long as we are performing our calculations on Earth.

For example, an object with a mass of 1 ounce weighs 1 ounce on Earth, but only weighs one-sixth of that on the moon, yet still has the same mass.

Learn more about ounces.

Cups to Ounces Conversion Calculator