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Single conversion
To convert from Pound (lb) to Microgram (mcg), use the following formula:
With is the ratio between the base units Gram (g) and Pound (lb).
Let's convert 5 Pound (lb) to Microgram (mcg).
Using the formula:
Therefore, 5 Pound (lb) is equal to Microgram (mcg).
Here are some quick reference conversions from Pound (lb) to Microgram (mcg):
| Pounds | Micrograms |
|---|---|
| 0.000001 lb | mcg |
| 0.001 lb | mcg |
| 0.1 lb | mcg |
| 1 lb | mcg |
| 2 lb | mcg |
| 3 lb | mcg |
| 4 lb | mcg |
| 5 lb | mcg |
| 6 lb | mcg |
| 7 lb | mcg |
| 8 lb | mcg |
| 9 lb | mcg |
| 10 lb | mcg |
| 20 lb | mcg |
| 30 lb | mcg |
| 40 lb | mcg |
| 50 lb | mcg |
| 100 lb | mcg |
| 1000 lb | mcg |
| 10000 lb | mcg |
For all Weight converters, choose units using the From/To dropdowns above.
The pound (lb) is a basic unit of mass and weight in the imperial system. It's widely used in the United States and elsewhere to measure things like groceries, body weight, and shipping.
Have you ever wondered why we write "lb" for pound? The abbreviation has ancient Roman roots.
It originates from the Roman unit of mass, the libra, which is Latin for "scales" or "balance."
The whole Roman phrase was libra pondo, meaning "a pound by weight." While English speakers adopted the pondo part, which became the word "pound," the abbreviation "lb" was retained from the phrase "libra."
Not all pounds are created equal. The two most common types are the avoirdupois pound and the troy pound.
To ensure global consistency, the pound is officially defined in relation to the kilogram (kg), the base unit of mass in the metric system.
Since 1959, one pound has been internationally defined as exactly 0.45359237 kilograms.
This agreement ensures that a pound in the US is the same as a pound in the UK. For everyday calculations, you can remember that 1 pound is about 0.45 kg.
A microgram (mcg) is a unit of mass equal to one-millionth of a gram.
While the official symbol for the microgram in the International System of Units (SI) is μg (using the Greek letter Mu), you'll often see it written as mcg.
This is particularly common in the medical and pharmaceutical fields.
Using 'mcg' is a crucial safety measure to prevent dosage errors. A handwritten 'μg' could easily be mistaken for 'mg' (milligram), which would result in a 1,000-times overdose—a potentially fatal mistake.
The microgram is the go-to unit for measuring very potent substances, where tiny differences matter for both safety and effectiveness.
It's used for specific substances like:
Measuring in micrograms makes it possible to give an effective dose without risking toxicity.
It's hard to picture how tiny a microgram is.
For perspective, a single grain of ordinary table salt weighs about 500–600 micrograms — meaning a single grain contains more than 500 micrograms.
That helps explain why we measure very potent substances in micrograms: their active doses are tiny.