Volume Unit Converter
Capacity, Displacement and the Cube Problem
Volume conversion trips people up for the same reason area conversion does, only worse: the factors are cubed, not squared. A foot is 0.3048 m, so a cubic foot is 0.3048³ = 0.028316846592 m³ — about a thirty-fifth of a cubic metre. Meanwhile the liquid measures (litres, gallons, quarts) live in a parallel vocabulary that has to reconcile with the cubic ones. This converter puts all twelve units on one scale so a tank measured in cubic feet can be quoted in gallons without a two-step detour.
The Formula
(Factors are relative to 1 liter)
The litre is the pivot because it sits neatly between both worlds: 1 L = 1000 cm³ exactly, and 1 m³ = 1000 L exactly. Negative values are rejected before any arithmetic runs.
Cubic Units and Liquid Units on One Scale
| Unit | Code | Liters | Family |
|---|---|---|---|
| Milliliters | ml | 0.001 | metric liquid |
| Cubic Centimeters | cm3 | 0.001 | metric cubic |
| Liters | l | 1 | metric liquid |
| Cubic Meters | m3 | 1000 | metric cubic |
| Cubic Inches | in3 | 0.016387064 | imperial cubic |
| Cubic Feet | ft3 | 28.316846592 | imperial cubic |
| US Fluid Ounces | us_floz | 0.0295735295625 | US liquid |
| US Cups | us_cup | 0.2365882365 | US liquid |
| US Pints | us_pint | 0.473176473 | US liquid |
| US Quarts | us_qt | 0.946352946 | US liquid |
| US Gallons | us_gal | 3.785411784 | US liquid |
| Imperial Gallons | imp_gal | 4.54609 | UK liquid |
Cubic Feet to Everything Else
Tank and container capacity usually starts as a cubic measurement. Here is what one cubic foot is worth across the scale:
| Unit | Value |
|---|---|
| Liters | 28.316846592 |
| Milliliters / Cubic Centimeters | 28316.846592 |
| Cubic Meters | 0.028316846592 |
| US Gallons | 7.48051948 |
| Imperial Gallons | 6.22883546 |
| US Quarts | 29.92207792 |
| Cubic Inches | 1728 |
1728 cubic inches per cubic foot is exact — it is 12³. The 7.48051948 US gallons per cubic foot figure is the one used throughout plumbing and pool sizing.
Cubic Metres and Litres
| Unit | Value |
|---|---|
| Liters | 1000 |
| US Gallons | 264.17205236 |
| Imperial Gallons | 219.9692483 |
| Cubic Feet | 35.31466672 |
Applications
- Tank and vessel sizing — capacity derived from length × width × height in feet, reported to a client in gallons or litres.
- Water and irrigation — utility meters commonly register in cubic feet or cubic metres while consumption is discussed in gallons or litres.
- Freight and shipping — container and pallet cube quoted in cubic metres against cargo specified in cubic feet.
- Engine and compressor specs — displacement in cubic inches or cc, air delivery in cubic feet per minute.
- Concrete and aggregate — volumes ordered by the cubic yard or cubic metre against a form measured in cubic feet.
How to Use This Calculator
- Compute or read off the volume figure and enter it in the Value field.
- Select its current unit in the first dropdown — watch the US-versus-Imperial gallon distinction here.
- Select the unit you need in the second dropdown.
- Press Calculate. The output shows the result along with both factors and the division, so it can be checked independently.
Related Calculations
For a cooking and fuel-oriented take on the same units, see the Volume Converter. When the container dimensions themselves need converting first, use the Length Converter.