0.1 mL to units
0.1 mL in units on a U-100 insulin syringe, which syringe holds it, and how much peptide that is at common strengths.
0.1 mL is 10 units on a U-100 insulin syringe.
On a U-40 syringe, 0.1 mL would read 4 units. It fits a 0.3 mL (30 unit) U-100 syringe.
A U-100 syringe filled to 0.1 mL holds 10 units. At that same 0.1 mL, a syringe marked U-40 shows only 4 units, so always check what you are holding.
- A U-100 syringe: 0.1 mL gives you 10 units
- A U-40 syringe: 0.1 mL gives you 4 units
- For 10 units, the smallest U-100 syringe holds 0.3 mL (30 units)
What the U number means
The "U" printed on the box and on the barrel shows how many units fit inside 1 mL. A U-100 syringe holds 100 units in 1 mL, so one unit measures 0.01 mL. A U-40 syringe fits only 40 units into the same 1 mL, so each unit is a bigger amount of liquid, and the same fill reads as fewer units.
Most insulin syringes on the market for human use are U-100. U-40 syringes are mainly used for pet insulin, for example this U-40 1 mL syringe. Before you draw anything up, check that the U number on your syringe matches the one on your insulin, since a U-40 syringe and a U-100 syringe give very different amounts at the same mark.
The sizes available and how they're marked
A tick is one of the short lines printed along the side of the barrel. Not every syringe counts the same way: on some, each line is 1 unit, but on the 1 mL U-100 size, each line is 2 units, so counting lines alone can lead you astray.
| Syringe | Capacity | What each tick marks | Where 0.1 mL lands |
|---|---|---|---|
| U-100, 0.3 mL | 30 units total | 1 unit | the 10-unit mark (10 ticks) |
| U-100, 0.5 mL | 50 units total | 1 unit | the 10-unit mark, ten ticks |
| U-100, 1 mL | 100 units total | 2 units | the 10-unit mark, five ticks |
| U-40, 1 mL | 40 units total | 1 unit | the 4-unit mark, 4 ticks |
Of these, the 0.3 mL is the smallest size that can hold 10 units. Because every tick there equals one unit, you can read the 10-unit mark more easily there than on a 1 mL syringe.
How this is worked out
The U number tells you how many units are in 1 mL, so a tenth of a mL is a tenth of that number: 10 units on a U-100 syringe, 4 units on a U-40.
Convert another amount
Questions people often ask
What does 0.01 mL measure in units?
With a U-100 syringe, 0.01 mL works out to 1 unit. You will see that as a single line on the smaller sizes, 0.3 mL and 0.5 mL, but only half a line on the 1 mL size, where each line counts 2 units.
Does 0.5 mL equal 5 units?
No. Filled to 0.5 mL, a U-100 syringe holds 50 units, enough to fill a 0.5 mL syringe completely; 5 units would be a much smaller amount.
How many units does 0.2 mL hold?
With a U-100 syringe, 0.2 mL comes to 20 units; with a U-40 syringe it comes to 8 units.