CARE Nursing Exam Prep

Free resources · Dosage calculations

Metric conversions

Converting between grams, milligrams and micrograms before you calculate.

Worked example: learn the method

Ungraded teaching example with different numbers from the practice exercise. For study only, not clinical use.

Convert 2 g to mg.

1 g = 1,000 mg · 1 mg = 1,000 mcg

  1. Choose the conversion factor: 1 g = 1,000 mg, so multiply by 1,000.
  2. Apply it: 2 × 1,000 = 2000 mg
  3. Sense-check: Moving to a smaller unit gives a larger number.

Example result: 2000 mg. Give the exact converted value.

Common mistake to avoid: Check which unit is larger before moving the decimal. Converting to a smaller unit increases the numerical value.

Dosage formulas · Unit conversion reference

Problem

Convert 0.125 mg to mcg.

Give the exact converted value.

These are practice problems for exam preparation. Every number in them is generated by CARE for teaching purposes — nothing here is a real order and nothing here is a clinical dosing tool. Do not use this page to work out a dose for a real patient: use your facility's policy, the actual order, and an independent double-check where your policy requires one.

Medication calculations also appear inside real exam practice, mixed with everything else and scored the same way. Try a free quiz drawn from the actual question bank.

Free quiz →