Mass/Volume Percent Calculator
Calculate mass/volume percent concentration (% m/v) from grams of solute and millilitres of solution.
How it works
mass/volume % = (grams of solute ÷ millilitres of solution) × 100 · 1% m/v = 10 g/L
Mass/volume percent expresses concentration as grams of solute per 100 millilitres of solution, a convention common in biology and medicine — a 0.9% saline drip, for example. It mixes a mass and a volume, so it is not dimensionless like mass percent, but it is quick to make up in the lab. Numerically, 1% m/v equals 10 g/L, and because 1 mL of water weighs about 1 g, the g/L and mg/mL figures coincide.
Worked example
Dissolving 5 g of solute and making the volume up to 100 mL gives (5 ÷ 100) × 100 = 5% m/v, equal to 50 g/L.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between % m/v and % w/w?
Mass/volume percent (m/v) is grams per 100 mL of solution; mass percent (w/w) is grams per 100 g of solution. They agree only when the solution's density is exactly 1 g/mL, as for dilute aqueous solutions.
Why is saline described as 0.9%?
Physiological saline is 0.9% m/v sodium chloride — 0.9 g of NaCl in 100 mL — which is roughly isotonic with blood, so it neither swells nor shrinks cells.
How do I convert % m/v to g/L?
Multiply by 10. A 5% m/v solution is 50 g/L; a 0.9% solution is 9 g/L. The tool shows the g/L figure automatically.
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