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SI Units - Volume
Volume is the measure of the 3-dimensional space occupied by matter, or enclosed by a surface, measured in cubic units. The SI unit of volume is the cubic meter (m3), which is a derived unit.
- Liter (L) is a special name for the cubic decimeter (dm3). The symbol for the liter is uppercase letter “ell” (L) is preferred to avoid the risk of confusion between the lowercase letter “ell” (l) and the number one (1). The script letter l (l) is not an approved symbol for the liter.
- Milliliter (mL) is a special name for the cubic centimeter (cm3).
|
Common Units of Volume |
|
|---|---|
|
1000 cubic millimeters (mm3) |
= 1 cubic centimeter (cm3) |
|
1 cm3 |
= 1 milliliter (mL) |
|
10 mL |
= 1 centiliter (cL) |
|
10 cL |
= 1 deciliter (dL) |
|
1 dL |
= 100 milliliters (mL) |
|
1000 cm3 |
= 1 cubic decimeter (dm3) |
|
1 dm3 |
= 1 liter (L) |
|
10 dL |
= 1 L |
|
1000 mL |
= 1 L |
|
10 L |
= 1 dekaliter (daL) |
|
10 daL |
= 1 hectoliter (hL) |
|
1 hL |
= 100 L |
|
1000 dm3 |
= 1 cubic meter (m3) |
|
1000 L |
= 1 m3 |
|
1000 L |
= 1 kL |
|
1 kL |
= 10 hL |
Visualize one cubic decimeter (dm3) or one liter (1 L) as a cube where each side is:
- 100 mm;
- 10 cm;
- 1 dm; or
- 0.1 m.
Visualize one liter (1 L) as:
- 1 m2 area that 1 mm deep
|
Everyday Volumes |
|
|---|---|
|
15 mL |
Eye Drop Bottle |
|
80 mL |
Empty Human Stomach |
|
200 mL |
Juice Box |
|
355 mL |
Soda Pop Can |
|
4 L |
Full Human Stomach |
|
5 L |
Blood in Human Body |
|
235 L |
Bathtub |
|
1 ML |
Olympic Swimming Pool |
| Bodies of Water | Continent | Volume of Water (estimated) |
|---|---|---|
| Caspian Sea | Asia | 78 700 km3 |
| Lake Baikal | Asia | 23 600 km3 |
| Lake Superior | North America | 12 100 km3 |
| Lake Michigan | North America | 4 920 km3 |
| Lake Huron | North America | 3 540 km3 |
| Lake Victoria | Africa | 2 700 km3 |
| Lake Ontario | North America | 1 700 km3 |
| Lake Lodoga | Europe | 908 km3 |
| Lake Erie | North America | 484 km3 |
| Lake Maracaibo | South America | 280 km3 |
| Lake Tahoe | North America | 151 km3 |
| Lake Mead | North America | 35 km3 |
Resources for Students and Teachers:
- Metric Rainfall Calculation Activity and Rainfall Rates (US Geological Survey). How much water falls during a rain storm? Choose an area and a rainfall amount (mL) to determine the volume of water (L) that fell from the sky and was delivered onto that area. You'll be surprised about much rain really does fall during a rainstorm. A variety of common rainfall rates (mm per hour) are described.
- SI Prefixes. In the metric system of measurement, designations of multiples and subdivision of any unit may be arrived at by combining with the name of the unit the prefixes.
- Volume models illustrate one cubic decimeter (dm3), also known as a liter (L). When a template is printed on cardstock and assembled, the two sheets create a cube 10 centimeters on each side with a volume of 1000 cm3.
- Liter Cube Template (Vendian).
- How Big Are Things? Cube (Vendian).
- Metric Volume Demonstration Apparatus (Smithsonian National Museum of American History).
- Metric Grain Volume Demonstration Measures (Smithsonian National Museum of American History).
- Calculate Volume Become familiar with methods used to calculate the volume of common objects (NIST).
- NISTIR 7383, Selected Procedures for Volumetric Calibrations, Good Measurement Practice (GMP 3), Method of Reading a Meniscus Using Water or Other Wetting Liquid (NIST).
- Rainfall Rates and Water Volume (NASA).
- Rainfall Amount, Intensity, and Distribution (FAO United Nations).
- Metric Rainfall Calculation Activity and Rainfall Rates (US Geological Survey). How much water falls during a rain storm? Choose an area and a rainfall amount (mL) to determine the volume of water (L) that fell from the sky and was delivered onto that area. You'll be surprised about much rain really does fall during a rainstorm. A variety of common rainfall rates (mm per hour) are described.
- Science Under Glass (Smithsonian National Museum of American History).
Navigate to more SI information:
- SI Units
- Fundamental Physical Constants
- Length – meter (m)
- Time – second (s)
- Amount of substance – mole (mole)
- Electric current – ampere (A)
- Temperature – kelvin (K)
- Luminous intensity – candela (cd)
- Mass – kilogram (kg)
- Prefixes
- U.S. Metrication
- U.S. Metrication FAQs
- Metric Kitchen
- National Metric Week
- NEST-R (STEM Registry)
- NIST Educational Resources