How many mL is 1 cc?
1 cc is exactly 1 mL. NIST defines the millilitre as a special name for the cubic centimetre,[1] and MedlinePlus puts it plainly: one cc of medicine is the same amount as 1 mL.[2]
mL = cc · units (U-100) = cc × 100
cc to mL chart
The mL column is always the same number; the units column applies only up to 1 cc, the capacity of the largest common insulin syringe.
| cc | mL | U-100 units |
|---|---|---|
| 0.01 cc | 0.01 | 1 |
| 0.05 cc | 0.05 | 5 |
| 0.1 cc | 0.1 | 10 |
| 0.25 cc | 0.25 | 25 |
| 0.5 cc | 0.5 | 50 |
| 1 cc | 1 | 100 |
| 2 cc | 2 | – (over 1 mL) |
| 2.5 cc | 2.5 | – (over 1 mL) |
| 3 cc | 3 | – (over 1 mL) |
| 5 cc | 5 | – (over 1 mL) |
| 10 cc | 10 | – (over 1 mL) |
| 20 cc | 20 | – (over 1 mL) |
| 30 cc | 30 | – (over 1 mL) |
| 50 cc | 50 | – (over 1 mL) |
Worked cc to mL examples
Each answer keeps the number and changes only the unit; the units column applies to a U-100 insulin syringe.
| Instruction says | mL | On a U-100 insulin syringe |
|---|---|---|
| 0.05 cc | 0.05 mL | 5 units |
| 0.25 cc | 0.25 mL | 25 units |
| 0.8 cc | 0.8 mL | 80 units |
| 2.5 cc | 2.5 mL | over 1 mL: use a 3 mL syringe |
| 10 cc | 10 mL | over 1 mL: use a 10 mL syringe |
2.5 cc on a 3 mL syringe (drawn with 0.1 mL lines)
mL to cc: how many cc in a mL?
There is exactly 1 cc in 1 mL, so converting mL to cc also keeps the number: 2.5 mL is 2.5 cc and 0.3 mL is 0.3 cc.[1]
cc to liters: 1,000 cc = 1 L
1,000 cc is 1 litre, because 1,000 cm³ make a cubic decimetre and a litre is a cubic decimetre.[1] So 500 cc is 0.5 L and 250 cc is 0.25 L.
| cc | mL | L |
|---|---|---|
| 100 cc | 100 | 0.1 |
| 250 cc | 250 | 0.25 |
| 500 cc | 500 | 0.5 |
| 750 cc | 750 | 0.75 |
| 1,000 cc | 1,000 | 1 |
| 1,500 cc | 1,500 | 1.5 |
| 2,000 cc | 2,000 | 2 |
cc on syringes: a 3 cc syringe is a 3 mL syringe
A syringe sold as 3 cc, 5 cc or 10 cc holds 3, 5 or 10 mL; BD lists its general syringes in mL, from 1 to 50 mL.[7] The common sizes are compared in 3 mL, 5 mL and 10 mL syringes and the full range in the syringe sizes chart.
cc to units on an insulin syringe
On a U-100 insulin syringe, 1 cc is 100 units, because 100 units fill 1 mL.[3] So 0.1 cc is 10 units, 0.25 cc is 25 units and 0.5 cc is 50 units. A 1 mL tuberculin syringe uses 0.01 mL lines, the same volume as one U-100 unit,[5] but safety guidance is to measure insulin with an insulin syringe of the matching scale, because mL-scale syringes have led to wrong doses.[6] Other volumes are in the mL to units calculator.
Common cc mistakes
- Reading “cc” as units. Handwritten “cc” can look like “u”; 1 cc is 100 units, not 1 unit, on a U-100 syringe.
- Measuring a cc dose of insulin on an mL syringe. Use an insulin syringe of the matching scale instead; see tuberculin syringe.
- Dropping the leading zero. “.5 cc” is easy to misread as 5 cc; write 0.5 mL.
Why “cc” is on the do-not-use list
The Institute for Safe Medication Practices lists “cc” as an error-prone abbreviation: handwritten, it can be mistaken for “u” (units), and “u” itself can be read as a zero or a four. Its advice is to write “mL” and to spell out “units”.[4] If an instruction says “cc”, read it as mL. Syringe parts and other terms are explained in parts of a syringe, and the errors that abbreviations cause in syringe measuring mistakes.
How we checked these numbers
Every result on this page comes from the same code as the calculator, and the known answers below are run as tests before each release.
| Input | Expected | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| 3 cc | 3 mL | NIST: mL = cm³ |
| 0.25 cc | 25 U-100 units | 100 units = 1 mL |
| 500 cc | 0.5 L | 1,000 cm³ = 1 dm³ = 1 L |
Known limits.
- cc and mL are identical; the units column applies only to insulin syringes up to 1 mL.
Download the data. cc, mL, liters and syringe units (CSV)
Change log.
- : Converter, charts, cc to liters and mL to cc sections published.
Frequently asked questions
Is 1 cc the same as 1 mL?
Yes. One cubic centimetre is exactly one millilitre.
How many mL is 3 cc?
3 mL. A 3 cc syringe and a 3 mL syringe are the same size.
How many mL is 5 cc?
5 mL.
How many cc in a mL?
Exactly 1 cc.
cc to units: how many units is 1 cc?
100 units on a U-100 insulin syringe; 0.5 cc is 50 units and 0.1 cc is 10 units.
Sources
- SI units: volume
- Drawing medicine out of a vial
- Giving an insulin injection
- ISMP List of Error-Prone Abbreviations, Symbols, and Dose Designations
- BD SafetyGlide tuberculin syringe, 1 mL (product 305945)
- ISMP Guidelines for Optimizing Safe Subcutaneous Insulin Use in Adults
- BD conventional needles and syringes (product line)