Converting between litres and millilitres using multiplication and division by 1000.
Where your child meets this in real life: Understanding drink bottle sizes (e.g., 500 ml = 0.5 litres)
SEAGReady breaks convert capacity units into 2 steps, taught in order so each skill builds on the last.
Convert whole numbers of litres to millilitres using the 1 L = 1000 mL relationship
Convert millilitres to litres by dividing by 1000, including amounts that result in decimal litres (e.g., 500 mL = 0.5 L, 2500 mL = 2.5 L)
Three free sample questions from our convert capacity units course. Every question comes with a full explanation, and hints that guide without giving the answer away.
Sean is filling water bottles for a school trip. He has 2 litres of water. How many millilitres is this?
Answer: C. 2000 mL
1 litre = 1000 millilitres Multiply by 1000 to convert litres to millilitres. 2 × 1000 = 2000 mL
Stuck? Start here: How many millilitres are in 1 litre?
Cillian drinks a bottle of water that contains 500 mL. How many litres is this?
Answer: C. 0.5 L
1000 millilitres = 1 litre Divide by 1000 to convert millilitres to litres. 500 ÷ 1000 = 0.5 L (500 mL is half a litre)
Stuck? Start here: To convert millilitres to litres, divide by 1000.
A recipe needs 4 litres of stock for soup. How many millilitres of stock is this?
Answer: A. 4000 mL
1 litre = 1000 millilitres Multiply by 1000 to convert litres to millilitres. 4 × 1000 = 4000 mL
Stuck? Start here: Remember: 1 litre = 1000 millilitres.
This is the exact interactive worked example your child sees in SEAGReady. Step through it and watch the method build up.
Aoife is making punch for a school party. The recipe needs 3 litres of lemonade.
How many millilitres of lemonade does she need?
3 L = ? mL
Step 1 of 4
Aoife is making punch for a school party. The recipe needs 3 litres of lemonade.
How many millilitres of lemonade does she need?
Aoife needs 3000 mL of lemonade.
The key insight: Each litre adds 1000 millilitres - just multiply the number of litres by 1000!
Watch out: 3 L = 300 mL. There are 1000 mL in a litre, not 100. Milli- means thousandth, not hundredth.
These are the misconceptions we see most often in convert capacity units, including the ones our practice questions are specifically designed to catch.
Struggling with convert capacity units? The real gap is often in one of these earlier topics.
SEAGReady finds the exact step where your child gets stuck, teaches it with worked examples like the one above, and brings it back for review so it sticks.