cubic metre (m³)
1 cubic metre = 1,000 litres
What is cubic metre?
A cubic metre is the SI unit of volume, equal to a cube with one-metre sides. It is used in construction, water supply, industrial gas storage, and large-scale fluid measurement.
Notes: SI derived unit
Real-world uses
Cubic metres are used for water and natural gas billing, concrete volumes in construction, shipping container capacities, and lumber measurement. Swimming pools, reservoirs, and water tanks are specified in m³. One m³ of water weighs one metric tonne.
History
The cubic metre is an SI-derived unit following naturally from the metre. It became the standard volume unit for large quantities in engineering and commerce. Water utilities worldwide adopted it as their billing unit, replacing older local measurements.
Common mistakes
Forgetting that 1 m³ = 1,000 litres, not 100. Also, confusing cubic metres with square metres—m³ is volume while m² is area. A small error in linear dimensions leads to large volumetric errors because volume scales cubically.
When is this conversion used?
Fuel economy, beverage volumes, and liquid measurements frequently require converting between litres and US gallons, especially for automotive and cooking contexts across different markets.
How to convert cubic metre to litre
To convert cubic metre to litre, multiply the value by 1,000.
Conversion formula (from base unit)
x * 1000.0
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.
| cubic metres | litres |
|---|---|
| 0.1 | 100 |
| 0.5 | 500 |
| 1 | 1,000 |
| 2 | 2,000 |
| 5 | 5,000 |
| 10 | 10,000 |
| 25 | 25,000 |
| 50 | 50,000 |
| 100 | 100,000 |
| 250 | 250,000 |
| 500 | 500,000 |
| 1,000 | 1,000,000 |
Common values
| cubic metres | litres | |
|---|---|---|
| A teaspoon | 0.000005 cubic metres | 0.005 litres |
| A cup of coffee | 0.00025 cubic metres | 0.25 litres |
| A water bottle | 0.0005 cubic metres | 0.5 litres |
| A bathtub | 0.3 cubic metres | 300 litres |
| A swimming pool (Olympic) | 2,500 cubic metres | 2,500,000 litres |
Full cubic metre conversion table
| Unit | Value | Factor |
|---|---|---|
| litre | 1 m³ = 1,000 L | × 1,000 |
| millilitre | 1 m³ = 1,000,000 mL | × 1,000,000 |
| US gallon | 1 m³ = 264.17205236 gal (US) | × 264.17205236 |
| Imperial gallon | 1 m³ = 219.9692483 gal (Imp) | × 219.9692483 |
| US fluid ounce | 1 m³ = 33,814.02270184 fl oz (US) | × 33,814.02270184 |
| Imperial fluid ounce | 1 m³ = 35,195.07972785 fl oz (Imp) | × 35,195.07972785 |
| teaspoon (metric) | 1 m³ = 200,000 tsp | × 200,000 |
| tablespoon (metric) | 1 m³ = 66,666.66666667 Tbsp | × 66,666.66666667 |
| cubic centimetre | 1 m³ = 1,000,000 cm³ | × 1,000,000 |