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Cups to Milliliters Converter
↔ Convert mL to cups instead

Common Conversions

cups mL
0.25 59.147
0.333 78.784
0.5 118.294
0.75 177.441
1 236.588
1.5 354.882
2 473.176
3 709.765
4 946.353
6 1419.529
8 1892.706

Why this conversion matters in chemistry

The US cup is a volumetric unit defined as exactly 236.588 mL — close to 240 mL, close to a metric cup of 250 mL, but not equal to either. The conversion comes up at the boundary between kitchen chemistry and bench chemistry. Translating a household recipe to mL is the first step in any food-chemistry analysis or any educational demonstration that needs reproducible volumes. The metric cup (250 mL) is what Australian and most non-US recipes mean, and the US legal cup (240 mL) is yet another value used on US nutrition labels — three different numbers for the same word, which is why specifying the convention matters before converting.

Formula

mL = cups × 236.588

Worked Examples

1 cup = 236.588 mL

One US cup, the standard household-recipe unit — close to a quarter-liter, but not exactly.

0.5 cup = 118.294 mL

Half a cup, useful as a sanity-check volume when adapting a recipe to a 100 mL graduated cylinder.

2 cups = 473.176 mL

About one US pint — the size of a small reagent bottle or a moderate-volume beaker.

4 cups = 946.353 mL

One US quart — close to a liter, but not quite. The 5% gap between a quart and a liter is exactly why the conversion matters for any quantitative work.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many mL is 1 cup?
Exactly 236.588 mL for the US customary cup. The metric cup used in Australia and many international recipes is 250 mL, and the US legal cup used on FDA nutrition labels is 240 mL. Three different values, all called "cup."
Should I use 236 mL or 250 mL for a cup?
It depends on the recipe's origin. A US cookbook means 236.588 mL. An Australian or European one usually means 250 mL. A US food label means 240 mL. The 5–6% spread is enough to matter for anything quantitative.
When does a chemist actually use cup measurements?
Kitchen-chemistry demonstrations, food-science analysis where a consumer recipe has to be translated into a bench protocol, and any educational context where students arrive with household measuring tools rather than graduated cylinders.
How does a cup relate to other US volume units?
1 US cup = 8 fl oz = 16 tablespoons = 48 teaspoons = 236.588 mL. Two cups make a pint, four cups make a quart, sixteen cups make a gallon.