Pounds to Milliliters Conversion Calculator
Enter the weight in pounds below to calculate the volume in milliliters.
Result: Milliliters
Do you want to convert milliliters to pounds?
On this page:
Joe is the creator of Inch Calculator and has over 20 years of experience in engineering and construction. He holds several degrees and certifications.
Ethan has a PhD in astrophysics and is currently a satellite imaging scientist. He specializes in math, science, and astrophysics.
How to Convert Pounds to Milliliters
Since pounds are a unit of mass and milliliters are a unit of volume, 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 pounds and milliliters of an ingredient or substance, we must either multiply or divide by its density, depending on which direction we are performing the conversion.
Pounds to Milliliters Formula
To convert a measurement in pounds to milliliters, divide the weight by the density of the ingredient or material. Note that in order for this to work, the density must be in pounds per milliliter (lb/mL).
If the density is given in grams per milliliter (g/mL), then first divide 453.5147 by the density to convert to lb/mL.
For a density given in g/mL, you can use this simple formula to convert:
milliliters = pounds × 453.5147 / density
Thus, the volume in milliliters is equal to the weight in pounds times 453.5147 divided by the density of the ingredient, substance, or material.
For example, here's how to convert 5 pounds to milliliters for an ingredient with a density of 0.7 g/mL.
milliliters = 5 lb × 453.5147 / 0.7 g/mL = 3,239.946 mL
How Many Milliliters Are in a Pound?
The actual volume of a pound will vary depending on the material's density. The conversion table below shows how many milliliters of various wet and dry ingredients are in a pound.
| Weight in Pounds: | Volume in Milliliters of: | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | Milk | Cooking Oil | All Purpose Flour | Granulated Sugar | |
| 1 lb | 453.59 mL | 440.38 mL | 515.45 mL | 857.45 mL | 536.57 mL |
| 2 lb | 907.19 mL | 880.76 mL | 1,031 mL | 1,715 mL | 1,073 mL |
| 3 lb | 1,361 mL | 1,321 mL | 1,546 mL | 2,572 mL | 1,610 mL |
| 4 lb | 1,814 mL | 1,762 mL | 2,062 mL | 3,430 mL | 2,146 mL |
| 5 lb | 2,268 mL | 2,202 mL | 2,577 mL | 4,287 mL | 2,683 mL |
| 6 lb | 2,722 mL | 2,642 mL | 3,093 mL | 5,145 mL | 3,219 mL |
| 7 lb | 3,175 mL | 3,083 mL | 3,608 mL | 6,002 mL | 3,756 mL |
| 8 lb | 3,629 mL | 3,523 mL | 4,124 mL | 6,860 mL | 4,293 mL |
| 9 lb | 4,082 mL | 3,963 mL | 4,639 mL | 7,717 mL | 4,829 mL |
| 10 lb | 4,536 mL | 4,404 mL | 5,154 mL | 8,575 mL | 5,366 mL |
| 11 lb | 4,990 mL | 4,844 mL | 5,670 mL | 9,432 mL | 5,902 mL |
| 12 lb | 5,443 mL | 5,285 mL | 6,185 mL | 10,289 mL | 6,439 mL |
| 13 lb | 5,897 mL | 5,725 mL | 6,701 mL | 11,147 mL | 6,975 mL |
| 14 lb | 6,350 mL | 6,165 mL | 7,216 mL | 12,004 mL | 7,512 mL |
| 15 lb | 6,804 mL | 6,606 mL | 7,732 mL | 12,862 mL | 8,049 mL |
| 16 lb | 7,257 mL | 7,046 mL | 8,247 mL | 13,719 mL | 8,585 mL |
| 17 lb | 7,711 mL | 7,486 mL | 8,763 mL | 14,577 mL | 9,122 mL |
| 18 lb | 8,165 mL | 7,927 mL | 9,278 mL | 15,434 mL | 9,658 mL |
| 19 lb | 8,618 mL | 8,367 mL | 9,793 mL | 16,292 mL | 10,195 mL |
| 20 lb | 9,072 mL | 8,808 mL | 10,309 mL | 17,149 mL | 10,731 mL |
When to Convert Pounds to Milliliters
Pounds and milliliters 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 weight to volume conversion.
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]
A third application of weight and volume conversions is when shipping freight when calculating the volumetric weight for cargo and packages. Trucks, ships, and airplanes are limited in the amount of weight or volume they can transport, so if one of those quantities is known, but the limitation is on the other, then it becomes necessary to convert between the two so as not to overload the shipping vehicle.
Keep reading to learn more about each unit of measure.
What Is a Pound?
Pounds are a widely used unit of weight in the United States. The National Bureau of Standards approved the international definition of the pound for use in the United States in 1959 after an agreement between six nations referred to as the International Yard and Pound Agreement.[3]
One pound is equal to 16 ounces, or 0.45359237 kilograms. In the avoirdupois or apothecaries' systems, one pound is equal to 7,000 grains.[4]
The pound is a US customary and imperial unit of mass. A pound is sometimes also referred to as a common ounce. Pounds can be abbreviated as lb (plural lbs), and are also sometimes abbreviated as lbm or #. For example, 1 pound can be written as 1 lb, 1 lbm, or 1 #, and 2 pounds can be written as 2 lbs.
A pound is frequently referred to as a unit of weight. While technically, a pound 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 pound weighs 1 pound on Earth, but only weighs one-sixth of that on the moon, yet still has the same mass.
Learn more about pounds.
What Is a Milliliter?
The milliliter is a unit of volume equal to 1 cubic centimeter, 1/1,000 of a liter, or about 0.061 cubic inches.[5]
The milliliter is an SI unit of volume in the metric system. In the metric system, "milli" is the prefix for thousandths, or 10-3. A milliliter is sometimes also referred to as a millilitre. Milliliters can be abbreviated as mL, and are also sometimes abbreviated as ml or mℓ. For example, 1 milliliter can be written as 1 mL, 1 ml, or 1 mℓ.
Since one milliliter is equivalent to one cubic centimeter, milliliters are sometimes expressed using the abbreviation for a cubic centimeter (cc) for things such as medical dosages or engine displacements.
Learn more about milliliters.
References
- National Institute of Standards & Technology, Culinary Measurement Tips, https://www.nist.gov/pml/owm/culinary-measurement-tips
- CK-12 Foundation, Introductory Chemistry (CK-12) - 12.6: Mass-Volume Stoichiometry, https://chem.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/Introductory_Chemistry/Introductory_Chemistry_(CK-12)/12%3A_Stoichiometry/12.06%3A_Mass-Volume_Stoichiometry
- National Bureau of Standards, Refinement of Values for the Yard and Pound, U.S. Department of Commerce, July 1, 1959, https://www.nist.gov/system/files/documents/2017/05/09/frn-59-5442-1959.pdf
- Encyclopædia Britannica, Avoirdupois weight, https://www.britannica.com/science/avoirdupois-weight
- National Institute of Standards and Technology, Specifications, Tolerances, and Other Technical Requirements for Weighing and Measuring Devices, Handbook 44 - 2019 Edition, https://nvlpubs.nist.gov/nistpubs/hb/2019/NIST.HB.44-2019.pdf