Question

What is 3.36 liters in milliliters?

Answer 1

There are 1000 millilitres in a litre. So `(3.36*cancel(L))xx(1000*mL*cancel(L^-1)) = ?? mL`

Explanation:

The prefix "milli" means `10^-3`. Thus 1 millilitre `=` `10^-3` `L`. And thus when we ask how many millilitres in a litre we do the operation: `(1L)/(mL)`, we do the mathematical operation, `(1L)/(10^-3L)` `=` `1000`. Sometimes drugs are delivered in `muL` doses. There are 1,000,000 `muL` in `1` litre (i.e. `1L` `=` `10^6 muL)`; and therefore in a `mL` (`10^-3L)`, there are 1000 `muL`.

If you think this is difficult and confusing, imagine how nurses and doctors feel when they have to administer medicine in particular doses. Mistakes are very, very common as they are all too easy to make (says he, hoping he has not made a mistake here!).