In a lot of cases, mmol/L to mEq/L conversion (millimoles per liter to milliequivalents per liter) is really simple (K+, Na+). When we are dealing with multivalent ions (such as Ca2+, Mg2+, Fe3+) it becomes a bit more difficult. To help you out with all of these conversions, we created these 2 online tools:
- mmol/L to mEq/L calculator. Here, you just insert mmol/L and ion valence/charge (K+ = 1, Ca2+ = 2, Fe3+ = 3), and you get mEq/L right away.
- mmol/L to mEq/L conversion charts (5 of them). We converted 1-500 mmol/L to mEq/L for 5 different ions (potassium (K+), sodium (Na+), calcium (Ca2+), magnesium (Mg2+), and iron (Fe3+)), and summarized all the results in 5 conversion charts for quick use.
Here is how ion valence (ion charge) affects the mmol/L to mEq/L conversion:
- 1 mmol/L of potassium ions (in potassium chloride (KCl), for example) is equal to 1 mEq/L, because potassium is a 1-valent ion (K+).
- 1 mmol/L of calcium ions (in calcium gluconate (C12H22CaO14, for example) is equal to 2 mEq/L (since Ca2+ is a 2-valent ion).
- 1 mmol/L of iron ions (3-valent) is equal to 3 mEq/L.
The calculator takes all this into account, as well as the 5 conversion charts (below the calculator). Let’s start with the calculator:
Let’s solve one example to illustrate how this online calculator works: How many mEq/L are in 40 mmol/L of potassium chloride (KCl)?
We know the mmol/L concentration, and we also know that potassium (K+) is a 1-valent ion. We insert ’40’ in the mmol/L field, slide the ion charge slider to ‘1’, and we get this result (screenshot):
We can immediately see that 40 mmol/L of potassium chloride (KCl) is equal to 40 mEq/L. This is the simplest conversion because we can convert 1-to-to (since we have 1-valent K+ ions in KCl). By the way, if you need this conversion in reverse – mEq/L to mmol/L – you can check out a similar mEq/L to mmol/L calculator here.
If, on the other hand, we would have 40 mmol/L of calcium ions (Ca2+ is calcium gluconate, for example), these 40 mmol/L would convert to 80 mEq/L because calcium ions are 2-valent ions (you can try this conversion with the calculator above, just slide the ion charge slider to ‘2’).
Let’s have a look at the math behind this conversion:
Table of Contents
mmol/L to mEq/L Formula
In order to convert mmol/L to mEq/L, we have to multiply mmol/L by ion charge (absolute value of the charge, it doesn’t matter is we have -1 or +1, or -2 or +2 charge). We can write this in the following mmol/L to mEq/L equation:
mEq/L = mmol/L × ABS (Ion Charge)
Quick Example: How many mEq/L are in 20 mmol/L of calcium gluconate?
We will use the equation above to solve this. We know we have 20 mmol/L, and calcium ions (Ca2+) have an ion charge of 2. Let’s put these two numbers in the equation and calculate the resulting mEq/L like this:
mEq/L (20 mmol/L, Ca2+) = 20 mmol/L × 2 = 40 mEq/L
This is just one example. We made a number of such calculations to create 5 conversion charts (for K+, Na+, Ca2+, Mg2+, and Fe3+). Here are the 1-500 mmol/L conversion to mEq/L for these key electrolytes:
1. Potassium mmol/L To mEq/L Chart (K+)
Potassium is a 1-valent ion, thus we can simply apply 1-to-1 conversion. Here is the potassium conversion chart:
| Potassium mmol/L (K+): | Potassium mEq/L: |
| 1 mmol/L K+ | 1 mEq/L |
| 2 mmol/L K+ | 2 mEq/L |
| 3 mmol/L K+ | 3 mEq/L |
| 4 mmol/L K+ | 4 mEq/L |
| 5 mmol/L K+ | 5 mEq/L |
| 10 mmol/L K+ | 10 mEq/L |
| 20 mmol/L K+ | 20 mEq/L |
| 30 mmol/L K+ | 30 mEq/L |
| 40 mmol/L K+ | 40 mEq/L |
| 50 mmol/L K+ | 50 mEq/L |
| 60 mmol/L K+ | 60 mEq/L |
| 70 mmol/L K+ | 70 mEq/L |
| 80 mmol/L K+ | 80 mEq/L |
| 90 mmol/L K+ | 90 mEq/L |
| 100 mmol/L K+ | 100 mEq/L |
| 150 mmol/L K+ | 150 mEq/L |
| 200 mmol/L K+ | 200 mEq/L |
| 250 mmol/L K+ | 250 mEq/L |
| 300 mmol/L K+ | 300 mEq/L |
| 350 mmol/L K+ | 350 mEq/L |
| 400 mmol/L K+ | 400 mEq/L |
| 450 mmol/L K+ | 450 mEq/L |
| 500 mmol/L K+ | 500 mEq/L |
Examples of molecules that contain potassium ions include potassium chloride (KCl) and potassium hydroxide (KOH). Thus, we can see that 100 mmol/L of potassium chloride is equal to 100 mEq/L, for example.
2. Sodium mmol/L To mEq/L Chart (Na+)
Sodium is also a 1-to-1 conversion. Examples of molecules that include sodium ions are sodium chloride (NaCl) and sodium hydroxide (NaOH). Here is the 2nd conversion chart:
| Sodium mmol/L (Na+): | Sodium mEq/L: |
| 1 mmol/L Na+ | 1 mEq/L |
| 2 mmol/L Na+ | 2 mEq/L |
| 3 mmol/L Na+ | 3 mEq/L |
| 4 mmol/L Na+ | 4 mEq/L |
| 5 mmol/L Na+ | 5 mEq/L |
| 10 mmol/L Na+ | 10 mEq/L |
| 20 mmol/L Na+ | 20 mEq/L |
| 30 mmol/L Na+ | 30 mEq/L |
| 40 mmol/L Na+ | 40 mEq/L |
| 50 mmol/L Na+ | 50 mEq/L |
| 60 mmol/L Na+ | 60 mEq/L |
| 70 mmol/L Na+ | 70 mEq/L |
| 80 mmol/L Na+ | 80 mEq/L |
| 90 mmol/L Na+ | 90 mEq/L |
| 100 mmol/L Na+ | 100 mEq/L |
| 150 mmol/L Na+ | 150 mEq/L |
| 200 mmol/L Na+ | 200 mEq/L |
| 250 mmol/L Na+ | 250 mEq/L |
| 300 mmol/L Na+ | 300 mEq/L |
| 350 mmol/L Na+ | 350 mEq/L |
| 400 mmol/L Na+ | 400 mEq/L |
| 450mmol/L Na+ | 450 mEq/L |
| 500 mmol/L Na+ | 500 mEq/L |
3. Calcium mmol/L To mEq/L Chart (Ca2+)
With calcium molecules (such as calcium gluconate), we have to be careful because Ca2+ are 2-valent ions, and thus we can’t apply the 1-to-1 conversion. Rather, we have to use 1-to-2 conversion, as evident in the conversion chart:
| Calcium mmol/L (Ca2+): | Calcium mEq/L: |
| 1 mmol/L Ca2+ | 2 mEq/L |
| 2 mmol/L Ca2+ | 4 mEq/L |
| 3 mmol/L Ca2+ | 6 mEq/L |
| 4 mmol/L Ca2+ | 8 mEq/L |
| 5 mmol/L Ca2+ | 10 mEq/L |
| 10 mmol/L Ca2+ | 20 mEq/L |
| 20 mmol/L Ca2+ | 40 mEq/L |
| 30 mmol/L Ca2+ | 60 mEq/L |
| 40 mmol/L Ca2+ | 80 mEq/L |
| 50 mmol/L Ca2+ | 100 mEq/L |
| 60 mmol/L Ca2+ | 120 mEq/L |
| 70 mmol/L Ca2+ | 140 mEq/L |
| 80 mmol/L Ca2+ | 160 mEq/L |
| 90 mmol/L Ca2+ | 180 mEq/L |
| 100 mmol/L Ca2+ | 200 mEq/L |
| 150 mmol/L Ca2+ | 300 mEq/L |
| 200 mmol/L Ca2+ | 400 mEq/L |
| 250 mmol/L Ca2+ | 500 mEq/L |
| 300 mmol/L Ca2+ | 600 mEq/L |
| 350 mmol/L Ca2+ | 700 mEq/L |
| 400 mmol/L Ca2+ | 800 mEq/L |
| 450 mmol/L Ca2+ | 900 mEq/L |
| 500 mmol/L Ca2+ | 1000 mEq/L |
4. Magnesium mmol/L To mEq/L Chart (Mg2+)
mmol/L of magnesium converts to mEq/L in the same quantitative manner as calcium. Here is the 4th conversion chart:
| Magnesium mmol/L (Mg2+): | Magnesium mEq/L: |
| 1 mmol/L Mg2+ | 2 mEq/L |
| 2 mmol/L Mg2+ | 4 mEq/L |
| 3 mmol/L Mg2+ | 6 mEq/L |
| 4 mmol/L Mg2+ | 8 mEq/L |
| 5 mmol/L Mg2+ | 10 mEq/L |
| 10 mmol/L Mg2+ | 20 mEq/L |
| 20 mmol/L Mg2+ | 40 mEq/L |
| 30 mmol/L Mg2+ | 60 mEq/L |
| 40 mmol/L Mg2+ | 80 mEq/L |
| 50 mmol/L Mg2+ | 100 mEq/L |
| 60 mmol/L Mg2+ | 120 mEq/L |
| 70 mmol/L Mg2+ | 140 mEq/L |
| 80 mmol/L Mg2+ | 160 mEq/L |
| 90 mmol/L Mg2+ | 180 mEq/L |
| 100 mmol/L Mg2+ | 200 mEq/L |
| 150 mmol/L Mg2+ | 300 mEq/L |
| 200 mmol/L Mg2+ | 400 mEq/L |
| 250 mmol/L Mg2+ | 500 mEq/L |
| 300 mmol/L Mg2+ | 600 mEq/L |
| 350 mmol/L Mg2+ | 700 mEq/L |
| 400 mmol/L Mg2+ | 800 mEq/L |
| 450 mmol/L Mg2+ | 900 mEq/L |
| 500 mmol/L Mg2+ | 1000 mEq/L |
5. Iron mmol/L To mEq/L Chart (Fe3+)
Iron is one of a few 3-valent ions. Thus we have a 1-to-3 mmol/L to mEq/L conversion here:
| Iron mmol/L (Fe3+): | Iron mEq/L: |
| 1 mmol/L Fe3+ | 3 mEq/L |
| 2 mmol/L Fe3+ | 6 mEq/L |
| 3 mmol/L Fe3+ | 9 mEq/L |
| 4 mmol/L Fe3+ | 12 mEq/L |
| 5 mmol/L Fe3+ | 15 mEq/L |
| 10 mmol/L Fe3+ | 30 mEq/L |
| 20 mmol/L Fe3+ | 60 mEq/L |
| 30 mmol/L Fe3+ | 90 mEq/L |
| 40 mmol/L Fe3+ | 120 mEq/L |
| 50 mmol/L Fe3+ | 150 mEq/L |
| 60 mmol/L Fe3+ | 180 mEq/L |
| 70 mmol/L Fe3+ | 210 mEq/L |
| 80 mmol/L Fe3+ | 240 mEq/L |
| 90 mmol/L Fe3+ | 270 mEq/L |
| 100 mmol/L Fe3+ | 300 mEq/L |
| 150 mmol/L Fe3+ | 450 mEq/L |
| 200 mmol/L Fe3+ | 600 mEq/L |
| 250 mmol/L Fe3+ | 750 mEq/L |
| 300 mmol/L Fe3+ | 900 mEq/L |
| 350 mmol/L Fe3+ | 1050 mEq/L |
| 400 mmol/L Fe3+ | 1200 mEq/L |
| 450 mmol/L Fe3+ | 1350 mEq/L |
| 500 mmol/L Fe3+ | 1500 mEq/L |
We hope the calculator and these charts serve you well when you need to convert mmol/L to mEq/L. If you have any questions or would like for us to help you, you can use the comment section below, gives us a few numbers and chemical substance, and we can help you out.