Units of Volume – Examples, Definition, Units, Conversion Chart

Volume measures the amount of space that a substance or object occupies or that is enclosed within a container. This fundamental concept is pivotal in various scientific and everyday contexts. To accurately quantify volume, several units are used globally, each tailored to specific measurements and applications.

What are Units of Volume?

SI Unit of Volume

The cubic meter (symbol: m³) is the official unit of volume in the International System of Units (SI). It represents the volume of a cube with sides of one meter each. One cubic meter equals 1,000 liters or about 35.3 cubic feet.

Common Use: Cubic meters are used universally in various fields such as engineering, construction, and commerce to measure the volume of liquids, solids, and gases. For instance, water consumption is often measured in cubic meters.

CGS Unit of Pressure

The cubic centimeter (symbol: cm³) is the unit of volume in the centimeter-gram-second (CGS) system of units. It is defined as the volume of a cube with sides of one centimeter in length.

Common Use: Although the cubic meter is more commonly used today, the cubic centimeter remains widely used in medicine and automotive engineering to measure small volumes, particularly in fluid measurements and engine displacement.

List of Volume Units

Cubic Meter (m³)

The cubic meter is the SI unit of volume, representing the volume of a cube with sides of one meter each. It is widely used in many scientific and engineering fields to measure large volumes, such as in construction and large-scale water management.

Liter (L)

A liter is a unit of volume that is commonly used in everyday situations around the world, especially for measuring liquids in the culinary and automotive industries. It is equivalent to one cubic decimeter.

Milliliter (mL)

The milliliter is a smaller unit of volume used extensively in cooking, medicine, and in the science lab. It measures the volume of a cube that is 1 centimeter on each side.

Gallon (US) (gal US)

The US gallon is used in the United States for commerce and in everyday life, particularly for fuels and other liquids. It is defined as 231 cubic inches.

Gallon (UK) (gal UK)

The UK gallon, or imperial gallon, is larger than the US gallon and was historically used in the UK and other countries for trade and transportation of goods like fuel.

Cubic Inch (in³)

A cubic inch is a unit of volume used primarily in the United States for measuring the volume of solid materials and is commonly used in automotive and other mechanical contexts.

Cubic Foot (ft³)

A cubic foot is an imperial and US customary unit of volume used widely in the United States for measuring larger volumes, such as refrigerator capacity or freight containers.

Cubic Centimeter (cm³)

The cubic centimeter is a unit of volume that is particularly useful in medicine and automotive industries for measuring small volumes, often in contexts of fluid volumes or engine displacements.

Conversion of Volume Units

Here is a table format showing conversions between commonly used units of volume: Cubic Meter (m³), Liter (L), Gallon (US) (gal US), and Cubic Inch (in³). The values provided are conversion factors for turning one unit into the other:

Cubic Meter to Liter

• Conversion: 1 liter = 0.001 cubic meters.
• Example: To convert 3 cubic meters to liters, multiply by 1000. 3 m³ × 1000 = 3000 L

Cubic Meter to Gallon (US)

• Conversion: 1 gallon (US) = 0.00378541 cubic meters.
• Example: To convert 2 cubic meters to US gallons, divide by 0.00378541. 2 m³ / 0.00378541 ≈ 528.34 gal (US)

Cubic Meter to Cubic Inch

• Conversion: 1 cubic inch = 0.0000163871 cubic meters.
• Example: To convert 1 cubic meter to cubic inches, divide by 0.0000163871. 1 m³ / 0.0000163871 ≈ 61023.74 in³

Liter to Cubic Meter

• Conversion: 1 cubic meter = 1000 liters.
• Example: To convert 500 liters to cubic meters, divide by 1000. 500 L / 1000 = 0.5 m³

Liter to Gallon (US)

• Conversion: 1 gallon (US) = 3.78541 liters.
• Example: To convert 200 liters to US gallons, divide by 3.78541. 200 L / 3.78541 ≈ 52.83 gal (US)

Liter to Cubic Inch

• Conversion: 1 cubic inch = 0.0163871 liters.
• Example: To convert 1000 liters to cubic inches, divide by 0.0163871. 1000 L / 0.0163871 ≈ 61023.74 in³

Gallon (US) to Cubic Meter

• Conversion: 1 cubic meter = 264.172 gallons (US).
• Example: To convert 10 gallons (US) to cubic meters, divide by 264.172. 10 gal (US) / 264.172 ≈ 0.03785 m³

Gallon (US) to Liter

• Conversion: 1 liter = 0.264172 gallons (US).
• Example: To convert 50 gallons (US) to liters, multiply by 3.78541. 50 gal (US) × 3.78541 = 189.2705 L

Gallon (US) to Cubic Inch

• Conversion: 1 cubic inch = 0.004329 gallons (US).
• Example: To convert 1500 gallons (US) to cubic inches, multiply by 231. 1500 gal (US) × 231 = 346500 in³

Cubic Inch to Cubic Meter

• Conversion: 1 cubic meter = 61023.74 cubic inches.
• Example: To convert 1000 cubic inches to cubic meters, divide by 61023.74. 1000 in³ / 61023.74 ≈ 0.01639 m³

Cubic Inch to Liter

• Conversion: 1 liter = 61.02374 cubic inches.
• Example: To convert 300 cubic inches to liters, divide by 61.02374. 300 in³ / 61.02374 ≈ 4.915 L

Cubic Inch to Gallon (US)

• Conversion: 1 gallon (US) = 231 cubic inches.
• Example: To convert 462 cubic inches to gallons (US), divide by 231. 462 in³ / 231 = 2 gal (US)

FAQ’S

How is volume measured?

Volume is measured by determining the space an object occupies. It’s quantified using water displacement or by mathematical formulae for regular shapes.

What is the basic unit for volume?

The basic SI unit for volume is the cubic meter, representing the volume of a cube with one-meter sides.

What are the most common units for volume?

Commonly, volume is measured in liters, milliliters, cubic centimeters, gallons, and cubic feet, facilitating everyday and scientific calculations.