Mg, short for milligrams, and mcg, short for micrograms, measures the mass of an object. Both units are metric units, which use the gram as the base unit. The prefix "milli-" stands for 10^-3, meaning a milligram equals 0.001 g. The prefix "micro-" stands for 10^-6, meaning a microgram equals 0.000001 g. Therefore, it takes 1,000 mcg to equal just 1 mg. Knowing this conversion factor allows you to quickly convert from milligrams to micrograms.
Instructions
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Multiply the mass in milligrams by 1,000 to convert to micrograms. For example, if you have 59 mg, multiply 59 by 1,000 to get 59,000 mcg.
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Divide the number of milligrams by 0.001 to convert to micrograms. In this example, verify your answer by dividing 59 by 0.001 to get 59,000 mcg.
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Verify your answer with an online milligrams-to-micrograms calculator. Enter the number of milligrams and the number of micrograms will appear.