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How to use
Convert common metric and liquid-volume units through liters as a shared base. US and imperial gallons are labeled separately, as are US and metric cups, because these names do not represent the same volume.
- Enter the volume and choose its source unit.
- Choose the target unit, paying attention to US versus UK labels for non-metric units.
- Calculate to see the selected conversion plus common liter, milliliter and US-gallon equivalents.
How it is calculated
Example
Example: 2 US gallons = 2 × 3.785411784 = 7.570823568 liters. An imperial gallon is 4.54609 liters, so the two gallon standards are not interchangeable.
Important notes
Volume is not mass. Converting a cup of an ingredient into grams requires that ingredient's density and cannot be derived from volume alone. This tool uses a 236.5882365 mL US cup and a 250 mL metric cup.
Worked examples and interpreting results
One liter equals 1000 cm³, and one cubic meter equals 1000 liters. A 2.5 L container therefore holds 2500 cm³ or 0.0025 m³; these describe the same capacity.
| Case | Calculation | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Liters to cubic centimeters | 2.5 × 1000 | 2,500 cm³ |
| Liters to cubic meters | 2.5 ÷ 1000 | 0.0025 m³ |
How to check the result
Converting volume to mass requires the material’s density; a liter cannot be equated to a kilogram without it. When selecting gallons, check whether the unit is US or imperial; the shared name does not imply equal capacity.
Frequently asked questions
How many milliliters are in a liter?
Exactly 1 liter = 1,000 milliliters.
Is a US gallon the same as an imperial gallon?
No. A US gallon is 3.785411784 L, while an imperial gallon is 4.54609 L.
Is a cup always 250 mL?
No. A metric cup is 250 mL, while a US customary cup is about 236.588 mL, so this converter labels both.