How many scruples are in one carat?

One carat equals approximately 0.1543 scruples. Conversely, one scruple (about 1.296 grams) equals approximately 6.48 carats.

The scruple is an apothecary unit equal to 20 grains (about 1.296 grams). Three scruples make one apothecary dram, and 24 scruples make one apothecary ounce. The name comes from the Latin 'scrupulus,' meaning a small sharp stone.

Is the scruple still used in pharmacy?

No. Modern pharmacy uses exclusively metric units (milligrams, grams). The scruple was officially abandoned in most countries by the 1970s. It survives only in historical texts and as a metaphorical word meaning a moral hesitation.

Carats to Scruples (ct to s ap) Converter

1 ct = 0.1543 s ap

1 Carat equals 0.1543 Scruples (1 ct = 0.1543 s ap). Convert Carats to Scruples with formula, table, and examples.

One carat equals approximately 0.1543 scruples. The scruple is an apothecary weight unit equal to 20 grains or about 1.296 grams, historically used by pharmacists for compounding prescriptions. A carat, at 200 milligrams, is roughly one-sixth of a scruple. This conversion connects the gemstone world to the vanishing tradition of apothecary measurement.

How to Convert Carats to Scruples

s ap = ct × 0.1543235835

Multiply the value in Carats by 0.1543235835

Take your value in Carats
Multiply by 0.1543235835
Read the result in Scruples

Common Carats to Scruples Conversions

Carats (ct)	Scruples (s ap)	Status
0.5 ct	0.077162 s ap
1 ct	0.154324 s ap
2 ct	0.308647 s ap
5 ct	0.771618 s ap
10 ct	1.543236 s ap
25 ct	3.85809 s ap
50 ct	7.716179 s ap
100 ct	15.432358 s ap
250 ct	38.580896 s ap
500 ct	77.161792 s ap
1,000 ct	154.323584 s ap
5,000 ct	771.617918 s ap

Good to Know About Carats to Scruples Conversion

The scruple's Latin origin, 'scrupulus' (small sharp stone), gave English two meanings: the weight unit and the moral concept. Ancient Romans used the metaphor of a pebble in your sandal causing discomfort to describe a nagging moral doubt. Pharmacists adopted the word for a small but precise weight, while philosophers kept it for small but persistent ethical concerns. The dual meaning has outlived the unit itself.

Carats to Scruples: What You Need to Know

The scruple was a cornerstone of pharmaceutical compounding for centuries. Prescriptions written in scruples, drams, and ounces persisted in British and American pharmacy until the mid-20th century. Today, the scruple is obsolete in modern medicine, replaced entirely by the milligram. This conversion matters only when interpreting historical pharmaceutical records or antique apothecary documents that may reference gemstone ingredients used in traditional remedies.

What is a Carat? ct

A carat is a unit of mass equal to exactly 200 milligrams (0.2 grams), used for measuring gemstones and pearls. Adopted internationally in 1907 by the Fourth General Conference on Weights and Measures.

Metric diamond weight gemstone grading pearl measurement

Learn more about Carat →

What is a Scruple? s ap

An apothecary scruple equals 20 grains or 1/3 of a dram apothecary (1.2959782 grams). A historical pharmaceutical unit largely replaced by metric measurements.

Apothecaries historical pharmacy historical medicine

Learn more about Scruple →

Going the other way? Use our Scruples to Carats converter.

Carats to Scruples FAQ

One carat equals approximately 0.1543 scruples. Conversely, one scruple (about 1.296 grams) equals approximately 6.48 carats.
The scruple is an apothecary unit equal to 20 grains (about 1.296 grams). Three scruples make one apothecary dram, and 24 scruples make one apothecary ounce. The name comes from the Latin 'scrupulus,' meaning a small sharp stone.
No. Modern pharmacy uses exclusively metric units (milligrams, grams). The scruple was officially abandoned in most countries by the 1970s. It survives only in historical texts and as a metaphorical word meaning a moral hesitation.

Non-Frequently Asked Questions About Carats to Scruples

Questions nobody should ask - but someone did.

In the moral sense, having no scruples means lacking ethical hesitation. In the weight sense, having zero scruples means having zero mass - specifically, zero times 1.296 grams, which is indeed nothing. The word 'scruple' bridges ethics and pharmacy: the Latin 'scrupulus' referred to a small stone in your shoe that nags at you, just as a moral scruple nags at your conscience.
Surprisingly, yes. Medieval and Renaissance physicians prescribed powdered gemstones as remedies. Ground rubies were believed to cure blood diseases, and powdered pearls were prescribed for heart conditions. These prescriptions would have mixed carat weights with scruple doses. The treatments were expensive and ineffective, which is roughly the opposite of modern pharmaceutical goals.
It has strong credentials. A 'scruple' evokes both tiny careful measurement and moral deliberation. The dram at least sounds medical. The grain sounds agricultural. But the scruple - that sounds like something a philosopher would weigh on a golden scale while contemplating the meaning of existence.