Converting Cubic Centimeters

Date: 04/27/99 at 12:11:06
From: Jacqueline Gainer
Subject: Weights and Measurements

How do I convert cc's to milliliters or decaliters?  For instance, if 
I fill a syringe with 10 cc's of something, how many milliliters will 
I have?  I cannot find the answer anywhere and would appreciate your 
help. (I volunteer teach for one of the online services.)

Thank you.  

Date: 04/27/99 at 17:30:03
From: Doctor Rick
Subject: Re: Weights and Measurements

Hi, Jacqueline, greetings from another volunteer!

It is very easy to convert cubic centimeters (cc) to milliliters: they 
are exactly the same thing.

The cc is not the correct abbreviation any more, however, under the SI 
(Systeme International, the official metric system). We are supposed 
to use cm^3 (centimeters cubed) instead, but of course cc's don't go 
away that easily.

The liter is not part of the SI either, but it is tolerated because 
it is more convenient to use than the official cubic meter.

            3
  1 l = 1 dm   (cubic decimeter)

             3
  1 ml = 1 cm  (cubic centimeter)

I wonder if you meant deciliters instead of decaliters. A decaliter 
(dal) is 10 liters, while a deciliter (dl) is 1/10 liter. This 
potential confusion is one reason I would avoid this unit. The 
following Web site, one of several good references on the metric 
system (SI), says that the only prefixes authorized to be used with 
liters are milli- and micro-.

  The Metric System (SI): A Concise Reference Guide (David Bartlett)
  http://www.hlalapansi.demon.co.uk/Metric/index.html   

Here is another site you might check out:

  U.S. Metric Association (USMA), Inc. 
  http://lamar.colostate.edu/~hillger/   

- Doctor Rick, The Math Forum
  http://mathforum.org/dr.math/