What Is Centiliter?
A centiliter is a metric unit used to measure how much liquid there is. It is smaller than a liter and is often used for drinks and recipes.
Definition
A centiliter is one hundredth of a liter.
- 1 centiliter = 0.01 liter
- 1 centiliter = 10 milliliters
So if you have 10 centiliters, that is the same as 100 milliliters or 0.1 liter.
History / Origin
The centiliter comes from the metric system, which started in France in the late 1700s. The metric system was made to have simple and clear units based on tens.
The word centiliter has two parts:
- centi means one hundredth
- liter is the basic metric unit for liquid volume
So centiliter means one hundredth of a liter. The metric system later became an important part of the International System of Units that most countries use today.
Symbol & Abbreviation
The standard symbol for centiliter is:
- cL
You might also see it written as cl on some drink bottles, menus or older labels, but cL with a capital L is the clear and correct form.
Remember:
- The letter c stands for centi which means one hundredth.
- The letter L stands for liter.
Current Use Around the World
Centiliters are used in many countries that follow the metric system, especially in Europe and parts of Asia, Africa and South America.
You can often see centiliters in these places:
- Drink bottles such as juice, soda and wine bottles, for example 25 cL or 75 cL.
- Bars and restaurants to show drink sizes, for example a 2 cL or 4 cL shot of a spirit.
- Recipes that ask for small amounts of milk, oil or other liquids.
- Medicine dosing sometimes, although milliliters are more common.
In the United States centiliters are not used much. People there usually use teaspoons, tablespoons, fluid ounces and cups. However, some imported bottles still show cL on their labels.
Example Conversions
Here are some easy centiliter conversions you can remember.
- 1 cL = 10 mL
- 2 cL = 20 mL
- 5 cL = 50 mL
- 10 cL = 100 mL = 0.1 L
- 25 cL = 250 mL = 0.25 L
- 50 cL = 500 mL = 0.5 L
- 75 cL = 750 mL = 0.75 L
- 100 cL = 1000 mL = 1 L
To change from centiliters to milliliters, multiply by 10.
To change from milliliters to centiliters, divide by 10.
Approximate conversion to US fluid ounces:
- 1 cL is about 0.34 US fluid ounces
- 3 cL is about 1 US fluid ounce
Related Units
Centiliter is one of several units used to measure liquid volume. Here are some related metric units:
- Milliliter (mL), a very small unit. 1 cL = 10 mL.
- Centiliter (cL), the unit explained on this page.
- Deciliter (dL), a larger unit. 1 dL = 10 cL = 100 mL.
- Liter (L), the main metric unit for liquid volume. 1 L = 100 cL.
- Cubic centimeter (cm³), another way to measure volume, mostly in science. 1 cm³ = 1 mL, so 10 cm³ = 1 cL.
- Cubic meter (m³), a very large volume unit used for big amounts of liquid. 1 m³ = 1000 L = 100000 cL.
Common non metric units related to centiliter include:
- US fluid ounce (fl oz), about 2.96 cL.
- UK fluid ounce, about 2.84 cL.
FAQs
Q: How many milliliters are in 1 centiliter
A: There are 10 milliliters in 1 centiliter.
Q: How many centiliters are in 1 liter
A: There are 100 centiliters in 1 liter.
Q: Which is bigger, centiliter or milliliter
A: A centiliter is bigger. One centiliter equals 10 milliliters.
Q: Where do I see centiliters in daily life
A: You often see centiliters on drink labels, in bar menus for drink portions, and in some recipes, especially in countries that use the metric system.
Q: Why use centiliters instead of milliliters
A: Centiliters are handy for medium small amounts of liquid. For example, a drink serving like 2 cL or 4 cL is easier to write than 20 mL or 40 mL on a menu.
Q: Is cL an official SI unit
A: The liter is not an SI base unit but it is accepted for use with SI. Centiliter is a decimal part of the liter, so people use it with the metric system, but the main SI volume unit is the cubic meter.
Q: How do I convert centiliters to liters quickly
A: Move the decimal point two places to the left. For example, 25 cL becomes 0.25 L and 7 cL becomes 0.07 L.
Q: How many centiliters are in a 750 mL bottle
A: A 750 mL bottle has 75 cL because 750 divided by 10 equals 75.