What is tablespoon (metric)?
A metric tablespoon is a volume unit equal to exactly 15 millilitres. It is widely used in cooking recipes in metric countries as a convenient measure for sauces, oils, and seasonings.
Real-world uses
The metric tablespoon (15 mL) is used in cooking recipes worldwide, particularly for oil, vinegar, sauces, and spices. It is also a common dosing measure for adult liquid medicines. Nutritional databases often list serving sizes in tablespoons.
History
The tablespoon evolved from the table or serving spoon and was adopted as a cooking measure. The metric tablespoon was standardized at 15 mL (3 metric teaspoons). In Australia, the tablespoon was standardized at 20 mL, creating a regional exception.
Common mistakes
Assuming a tablespoon is always 15 mL—the Australian tablespoon is 20 mL, and the US customary tablespoon is 14.79 mL. Failing to check which standard a recipe uses can alter the outcome of precise baking recipes.
What is US fluid ounce?
A US fluid ounce is a volume unit equal to approximately 29.57 millilitres. It is used in the United States for beverage servings, cooking measurements, and product labelling.
Real-world uses
US fluid ounces are used for beverage labelling (a standard can of soda is 12 fl oz), cooking measurements, and cosmetics packaging in the United States. Cocktail recipes and bartending rely heavily on fluid ounce measurements (a standard shot is 1.5 fl oz).
History
The US fluid ounce derives from the English wine gallon tradition. When the US and UK diverged in measurement standards in the 19th century, their fluid ounces ended up slightly different. The US fluid ounce is defined as 1/128 of a US gallon.
Common mistakes
Confusing US fluid ounces with Imperial fluid ounces—they differ by about 4% (US: 29.57 mL, Imperial: 28.41 mL). Also, confusing fluid ounces (volume) with avoirdupois ounces (weight), which are completely different measurements.
When is this conversion used?
Converting tablespoon (metric) to US fluid ounce is useful in the volume domain when comparing values across different measurement standards or applying formulas that require a specific unit.
Worked examples
1 tablespoon (metric) = 0.50721034 US fluid ounce
1 US fluid ounce = 0.02957353 litre
How to convert tablespoon (metric) to US fluid ounce
To convert tablespoon (metric) to US fluid ounce, multiply the value by 0.50721034.
To convert US fluid ounce back to tablespoon (metric), multiply by 1.97156864.
Measurement standards
The cubic metre is the SI derived unit of volume. The litre, equal to exactly one cubic decimetre (0.001 m³), is accepted by the BIPM for use alongside SI units. Both the lowercase "l" and uppercase "L" are approved symbols for the litre.
Did you know?
An Olympic swimming pool holds 2,500 cubic metres of water — about 2.5 million litres. The Amazon River discharges roughly 209,000 cubic metres per second, enough to fill 84 Olympic pools every single second.
Quick reference: tablespoon (metric) to US fluid ounce
| tablespoon (metric) | US fluid ounce |
|---|---|
| 0.1 | 0.05072103 |
| 0.5 | 0.25360517 |
| 1 | 0.50721034 |
| 2 | 1.01442068 |
| 5 | 2.5360517 |
| 10 | 5.07210341 |
| 25 | 12.68025851 |
| 50 | 25.36051703 |
| 100 | 50.72103405 |
| 250 | 126.80258513 |
| 500 | 253.60517026 |
| 1,000 | 507.21034053 |
Common values
| tablespoon (metric) | US fluid ounce | |
|---|---|---|
| A teaspoon | 0.33333333 tablespoon (metric) | 0.16907011 US fluid ounce |
| A cup of coffee | 16.66666667 tablespoon (metric) | 8.45350568 US fluid ounce |
| A water bottle | 33.33333333 tablespoon (metric) | 16.90701135 US fluid ounce |
| A bathtub | 20,000 tablespoon (metric) | 10,144.20681055 US fluid ounce |
| A swimming pool (Olympic) | 166,666,666.66666669 tablespoon (metric) | 84,535,056.7546075 US fluid ounce |
Available Volume units
More tablespoon (metric) conversions
- Convert tablespoon (metric) to litre
- Convert tablespoon (metric) to millilitre
- Convert tablespoon (metric) to US gallon
- Convert tablespoon (metric) to cubic metre
- Convert tablespoon (metric) to Imperial gallon
- Convert tablespoon (metric) to US fluid ounce
- Convert tablespoon (metric) to Imperial fluid ounce
- Convert tablespoon (metric) to teaspoon (metric)
- Convert tablespoon (metric) to cubic centimetre