Milligrams and Micrograms are the metrics that are used to measure the weight of something. One milligram equals one part of a thousand grams.
Key Takeaways
- A milligram (mg) is a unit of mass in the metric system, equal to one-thousandth of a gram (0.001 g).
- A microgram (µg or mcg) is also a unit of mass in the metric system, equal to one-millionth of a gram (0.000001 g).
- Both units measure small amounts of mass, but they differ in scale, with a milligram being 1,000 times larger than a microgram.
Milligram vs Microgram
The difference between milligrams and micrograms is that one milligram is one part of a thousand grams, whereas a microgram weighs one part of a million grams. Milligram is an SI metric used to weigh light objects, while microgram is the SI unit for weighing even lighter particles.
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One milligram is one by a thousand parts of a gram. It can also be calculated in grams, as a thousand milligrams equals one gram.
A microgram is even lighter than a milligram. It is the one-millionth part of a gram. One million milligrams equals one gram.
Comparison Table
| Parameter of Comparison | Milligram | Microgram |
|---|---|---|
| Abbreviation | Milligram is abbreviated as mg. | Microgram is abbreviated as mcg. |
| Parts in gram | A thousand milligrams is equal to one gram. | One million micrograms are equal to one gram. |
| Metrics | 1mg = 1/1000 g | 1mcg = 1/1000000 g |
| Conversion | Mg = mcg*1000 | Mcg= mg/1000 |
| Tool | The tool used to calculate a quantity in milligrams is milligram balances | The tool used to calculate a quantity in micrograms is microgram balances |
What is Milligram?
A milligram is a unit of mass that is used to weigh quantities. It is comparatively a tiny unit compared to kilograms, the SI unit of mass.
One milligram is equal to 1* 10-3 grams. One gram is similar to the mass of a millimetre.
Often, milligrams are used worldwide to express the limitation of a quantity. This is why it is always expressed in grams.
The nutrition details in the daily foods we consume are expressed in terms of milligrams. When the packets’ wrappers containing fast foods are checked, the packagers express the number of fats, vitamins, and minerals in milligrams.
What is Microgram?
One microgram is also a unit of mass used to weigh particles. This is even smaller than milligrams.
One microgram is equal to 1*1000000 grams. This unit is mainly used in microchemistry.
Microgram is taught at schools to understand the details of the number of compounds present in different substances. As it is very tiny, this amount is often represented by converting it to grams.
Institutions such as the Institute for Safe Medication Practices and the US Food and Drug Administration encourage expressing quantities in micrograms. This is because of the importance of composition in drugs.
Main Differences Between Milligrams and Micrograms
- One milligram is equal to one by a thousand parts of a gram. One microgram is similar to one by million parts of a gram.
- When expressed in terms of grams, a thousand milligrams equals a gram, whereas one million micrograms together contribute a gram.
- Milligram is lighter than a gram but heavier than a microgram. Microgram is more delicate than both grams and milligrams.
- Milligrams can be converted to micrograms by multiplying them by a thousand. Micrograms are converted to milligrams by dividing them by thousand.
- The equipment used to weigh quantities in milligrams is known as milligram balance, whereas the equipment utilised to consider particles in micrograms is known as microgram balance.
- https://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=12079
- https://www.dictionary.com/browse/microgram
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Piyush Yadav has spent the past 25 years working as a physicist in the local community. He is a physicist passionate about making science more accessible to our readers. He holds a BSc in Natural Sciences and Post Graduate Diploma in Environmental Science. You can read more about him on his bio page.
