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Volume
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Volume Converter

Professional conversion for liquids, dry goods, and industrial volume. Supports Metric, US Customary, and Imperial units for 2026.

Use Cases for this Tool

  • ●
    Cooking & Recipes: Convert cups to milliliters, gallons to liters for baking and cooking, especially with international recipes.
  • ●
    Chemistry & Lab Work: Precise volume conversions for experiments, solutions, and laboratory measurements.
  • ●
    Liquid Storage: Calculate tank capacities, fuel volumes, and liquid storage in different unit systems.

Did you know?

The Pacific Ocean contains approximately 714 million cubic kilometers of water. If you could pour it all into a cube, each side would be about 894 km (556 miles) long—nearly the distance from New York to Chicago!

Everything You Need to Know About Volume

🌍 Global Standards

Volume is the quantification of three-dimensional space by liquids, solids, or gas. While science standardized on the Cubic Meter (m³) and Liter (L), daily life remains a mix of systems.

  • • Metric (SI): Used globally (Liters, Milliliters)
  • • US Customary: Used in USA (Gallons, Cups, Fl Oz)
  • • Imperial: Legacy UK system (Pints, Gallons)

⚖️ Mass vs. Volume

A common mistake is confusing weight with volume."A pint's a pound the world around" is only roughly true for water.

1 Liter Water1.00 kg
1 Liter Gasoline~0.74 kg
1 Liter Mercury13.53 kg

The "Gallon" Confusion Explained

Buying fuel commonly causes confusion due to the two different "gallons". The US Gallon is smaller than the Imperial (UK) Gallon. This affects MPG (Miles Per Gallon) calculations significantly.

Unit NameLiters (Exact)Cubic InchesUsed Where?
US Liquid Gallon3.785411784 L231 in³USA, Latin America
UK Imperial Gallon4.54609 L~277.42 in³UK, Canada (legacy)
US Dry Gallon4.40488 L268.8 in³Rare Agriculture

Cooking Measures: Cups & Spoons

Recipes are the most common place where volume errors happen. A "cup" is not universal. VerCalc supports both standard US cups and Metric cups (common in Australia, NZ, UK, Canada).

1 Metric Cup
250 ml
1 US Cup
~237 ml
1 tbsp (Metric)
15 ml
1 tsp (Metric)
5 ml

?Common Questions (2026 FAQ)

What is the difference between US and UK gallons?
A US gallon is defined as 231 cubic inches (approx. 3.785 liters), while a UK (Imperial) gallon is 4.54609 liters. This means a UK gallon is significantly larger—about 20% more than a US gallon. Always check which system you are using for fuel economy or recipes.
How many cups are in a liter?
It depends on the cup! 1 Liter equals approximately 4.23 US Customary Cups (236.6 ml each), or exactly 4 Metric Cups (250 ml each). VerCalc allows you to choose between both standards for precision.
How many liters is 1 cubic meter?
One cubic meter (m³) contains exactly 1,000 liters. This relationship is a cornerstone of the metric system: 1 m³ of water weighs 1 metric tonne (1,000 kg).
What is a Barrel (bbl) in oil terms?
A standard oil barrel is exactly 42 US gallons, which equals approximately 159 liters. This unit, originating from 19th-century wooden barrels, remains the global standard for crude oil pricing and shipping.
Does temperature affect volume?
Yes, most liquids expand when heated and contract when cooled. However, for most daily applications (cooking, fuel tanks), this change is negligible. In industrial chemistry and oil shipping, volume is often corrected to a standard temperature (e.g., 15°C).
Is a Fluid Ounce the same as a regular Ounce?
No. A 'Fluid Ounce' (fl oz) measures volume, while a standard 'Ounce' (oz) measures weight/mass. For water, 1 fl oz weighs roughly 1 oz, but for other substances like honey (heavier) or flour (lighter), they are very different.

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