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What is a milligram?

The standard dosing unit for oral medications and vitamins

Definition

The milligram equals one thousandth of a gram. It is the dosing unit for most oral medications. A standard paracetamol tablet contains 500 mg. The daily recommended intake of iron for adult men is 8 mg, for women 18 mg. Micrograms (µg) are used for even smaller quantities like vitamin D.

Common uses

  • Prescription and over-the-counter drug dosing
  • Vitamin and mineral supplement labelling
  • Trace element analysis in laboratories

🌍 Real-world scale

A paracetamol tablet is 500 mg. Daily iron intake: 8 mg (men) / 18 mg (women). Aspirin for heart protection: 75–100 mg daily.

Convert from milligrams

11 conversions
Milligram to Kilogram1 mg = 1.0000e-6 kgMilligram to Gram1 mg = 0.001 gMilligram to Microgram1 mg = 1,000 µgMilligram to Pound1 mg = 2.2046e-6 lbMilligram to Ounce1 mg = 3.5274e-5 ozMilligram to Metric Ton1 mg = 1.0000e-9 tMilligram to US Ton1 mg = 1.1023e-9 ton (US)Milligram to UK Ton1 mg = 9.8421e-10 ton (UK)Milligram to Stone1 mg = 1.5747e-7 stMilligram to Carat1 mg = 0.005 ctMilligram to Grain1 mg = 0.01543 gr

Convert to milligrams

11 conversions
Kilogram to Milligram1 kg = 1,000,000 mgGram to Milligram1 g = 1,000 mgMicrogram to Milligram1 µg = 0.001 mgPound to Milligram1 lb = 453,592.37 mgOunce to Milligram1 oz = 28,349.52 mgMetric Ton to Milligram1 t = 1,000,000,000 mgUS Ton to Milligram1 ton (US) = 907,184,740 mgUK Ton to Milligram1 ton (UK) = 1,016,046,908.8 mgStone to Milligram1 st = 6,350,293.18 mgCarat to Milligram1 ct = 200 mgGrain to Milligram1 gr = 64.7989 mg

Tips

  • 1 mg = 1/1000 g = 1,000,000 µg. Always check which prefix the label uses.
  • Read medication labels carefully — confusing mg and µg can be a 1000× dosing error.
  • Nutrition labels list minerals in mg and vitamins (A, D, K) in µg.

Common mistakes

  • Reading 500 mg as 500 g on a medicine bottle — a potentially fatal 1000× error.
  • Confusing mg (milligram) with mg/kg (dose per kilogram of body weight).
  • Mixing up mg and µg — µg is 1000× smaller.

FAQ about the milligram

What is a milligram?
The milligram equals one thousandth of a gram. It is the dosing unit for most oral medications. A standard paracetamol tablet contains 500 mg. The daily recommended intake of iron for adult men is 8 mg, for women 18 mg. Micrograms (µg) are used for even smaller quantities like vitamin D.
Where is the milligram used?
The milligram is commonly used for: Prescription and over-the-counter drug dosing; Vitamin and mineral supplement labelling; Trace element analysis in laboratories.
What is an example of a milligram in real life?
A paracetamol tablet is 500 mg. Daily iron intake: 8 mg (men) / 18 mg (women). Aspirin for heart protection: 75–100 mg daily.
What category does the milligram belong to?
The milligram is a unit of weight, part of the 12-unit weight category on UnitConv.
How accurate are milligram conversions?
All conversion factors follow NIST and BIPM international standards to 8 significant figures — the highest practical accuracy.
Explore all 12 weight units and their conversions.⚖️ Weight hub →