Convert cm³ to L cubic centimetres ↔ litres Free Online Secure
Type a value in cubic centimetres and read it in litres at once. The factor is exact by definition, the arithmetic happens in your browser, and nothing is sent anywhere.
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Common values — Convert cm³ to L (cubic centimetres ↔ litres)
| cm³ | L |
|---|---|
| 1 | 0.001 |
| 2 | 0.002 |
| 3 | 0.003 |
| 5 | 0.005 |
| 10 | 0.01 |
| 20 | 0.02 |
| 50 | 0.05 |
| 100 | 0.1 |
Where these units come from
The litre has an awkward history. From 1901 it was defined as the volume of one kilogram of pure water at its densest, which sounds elegant but came out at 1.000028 cubic decimetres — close enough to be confusing and far enough to spoil careful work. In 1964 the definition was abandoned and the litre became exactly one cubic decimetre, which it has been ever since. The gallon has a messier story still: the US gallon descends from the English wine gallon of 231 cubic inches, while Britain redefined its own in 1824 as the volume of ten pounds of water. Nobody reconciled the two, so a US gallon is 3.785411784 litres and an imperial gallon 4.54609 — about a fifth larger. The gallon, pint, cup, fluid ounce and spoons on this page are the US ones.
Where you meet them
Millilitres and litres run through daily life almost invisibly: bottles, fuel, paint, dosage, the capacity of a kettle. Cubic metres belong to water bills, concrete, shipping and the air a ventilation system has to move. Cubic centimetres name engine displacement, cubic feet appear in freight and in appliance capacities, and cups and spoons live almost entirely in recipes — which is exactly where the difference between a US cup and a metric one quietly ruins a cake.
Questions people ask
What does cc mean on an engine?
It stands for cubic centimetres, the same as cm³, and it states the engine's displacement: the total volume swept by its pistons. A 1600 cc engine is a 1.6 litre engine. The figure is a measure of size and not of power, since two engines of the same displacement can differ greatly in output.
Is a litre of water really a kilogram?
Very nearly. The kilogram was first defined as the mass of one litre of water, and the two are still close: water at about 4 °C is 0.99997 kilograms per litre. It is not exact today because the kilogram is now defined from a physical constant. Warm water is slightly lighter, so the rule is a good approximation and not a law.
Is the answer exact?
Where both units are defined in terms of one another by whole numbers, yes — the page says so above the figure, and the only rounding is in how many digits are shown. Where the ratio has no finite decimal, the page shows twelve significant digits and says the relation is approximate rather than pretending otherwise.
Does anything I type leave my device?
No. The arithmetic runs in your browser; nothing is uploaded and there is no server to upload it to. Load the page once and it keeps working with the network switched off.
Baking tins, saucepans and stockpots: kitchen volumes in litres
A recipe says the batter needs a tin that holds two litres, but the tin you own is labelled only with its size in centimetres. Multiply length, width and depth and you get cubic centimetres; divide by 1,000 and you have litres. To convert cm³ to L you move the decimal point three places to the left. A loaf tin of 23 by 13 by 7 cm therefore holds 2,093 cm³, which is 2.09 L, and a round cake tin 20 cm across and 8 cm deep holds 2,513 cm³, or 2.5 L. This page divides as you type, and the text below shows how the conversion works in the kitchen and around the house.
Ahead you will find the rule with examples, a short note on each unit, a comparison, a tour of pots, tins and appliances, and the slips that cause wrong answers. All arithmetic happens in your browser; nothing you enter is sent anywhere.
How to convert cm³ to L: divide by 1,000
The rule
One litre is exactly 1,000 cubic centimetres, because a litre is a cube of 10 cm on each side. To convert cm³ to L, divide the cubic centimetres by 1,000, or move the point three places to the left. So 350 cm³ is 0.35 L, 1,800 cm³ is 1.8 L, 6,500 cm³ is 6.5 L and 60 cm³ is 0.06 L. To go back, multiply litres by 1,000.
Worked examples
A saucepan 18 cm across and 10 cm deep holds 2,545 cm³, about 2.5 L. A stockpot 24 cm across and 20 cm tall holds 9,048 cm³, 9 L. A 9 by 13 inch baking pan, 22.9 by 33 by 5.1 cm, holds about 3,850 cm³, 3.85 L. For a cylinder, multiply pi by the radius squared by the height.
Why three places and not two
Lengths convert with a factor of 10 or 100, but a volume multiplies three lengths. A cube of 10 cm has 1,000 cm³, so the step from cubic centimetres to litres is a thousand. Moving the point only two places leaves your answer ten times too big.
A quick check
The litre is the larger unit, so the number must shrink by three digits. If your “convert cm³ to L” calculation result lost only two, you used the factor for areas.
The cubic centimetre
A cube one centimetre on each side
The cubic centimetre is the volume of a cube 1 cm on a side, equal to one millilitre. It is what you get when you multiply three dimensions in centimetres, which is why it appears first in most volume calculations.
Where it appears
Volumes worked out from measurements, dosage syringes, engine sizes, small containers and school experiments.
The litre
A cube of ten centimetres
The litre is the volume of a cube 10 cm by 10 cm by 10 cm, which is 1,000 cm³ or one cubic decimetre. It is the usual unit for drinks, cookware, fuel tanks, pots and most household containers.
Where it appears
Recipes, packaging, fuel, appliance specifications and bottled products.
Cubic centimetre and litre compared
A litre holds a thousand cubic centimetres. A large mug of 350 cm³ is a little over a third of a litre, and a stockpot of 9,000 cm³ is nine litres. In a recipe, millilitres, which equal cubic centimetres, are used for small amounts and litres for large ones, so you often need to convert between them.
The conversion has no rounding, because the factor is exact. The only hazard is the number of places. Writing the unit after every figure and keeping your working visible avoids most mistakes.
Where the conversion appears
Baking tins
A loaf tin of 23 by 13 by 7 cm holds 2.09 L. A round tin of 20 by 8 cm holds 2.5 L. A springform of 24 by 6 cm holds 2.7 L. A batter should fill a tin only half to two thirds, so a 2 L mixture suits a tin of 3 to 4 L. The “convert cm³ to L” calculation step tells you at a glance whether your tin is big enough.
Pots and pans
A saucepan of 18 by 10 cm holds 2.5 L. A stockpot of 24 by 20 cm holds 9 L. A pressure cooker of 6 L has 6,000 cm³. Recipes tell you the pot size in litres, and a cook who has measured the pot in centimetres can check it quickly.
Cups and spoons
A metric cup is 250 cm³, a US cup 236.6 cm³, a tablespoon 15 cm³ and a teaspoon 5 cm³. Sixteen tablespoons make 240 cm³, nearly a US cup. Because a cubic centimetre is a millilitre, these small measures convert directly to litres: 250 cm³ is 0.25 L.
How full should a tin be
Most cakes rise by half to two thirds of their original height, so a tin should be filled to about two thirds at most. A 2 L tin therefore suits about 1.3 L of batter, 1,300 cm³. If a recipe for a 20 cm round tin is baked in a 23 by 33 cm pan, the batter spreads thinner, and the baking time shortens. Comparing capacities in litres is the quickest way to adjust.
Blender jugs and mixing bowls
A blender jug of 1.5 L holds 1,500 cm³, but it should be filled to only 60 percent for hot liquids, about 900 cm³. A mixing bowl of 25 cm diameter and 12 cm depth, shaped like a cylinder, holds 5,890 cm³, 5.9 L. Real bowls curve in, so their capacity is smaller. If the manufacturer gives only the dimensions, treat the calculated volume as an upper limit.
Jars and canning
A standard jar for preserves holds 370 cm³, 0.37 L, and a large one 720 cm³. Ten large jars take 7.2 L of jam. Canners work in jars rather than litres, but the pot used for processing must be deep enough to cover them with water, so they check its capacity in litres from its measured dimensions. A pot of 30 by 30 cm holds 21,200 cm³, 21.2 L.
Cooking pasta and rice
Pasta cooks best in about 1 L of water for every 100 g, so 400 g needs 4 L, 4,000 cm³. A pot of 20 by 15 cm holds 4,712 cm³, 4.7 L, which is just enough, since it must not be filled to the brim. Rice cookers list cup sizes of 180 cm³, so a 1.8 L cooker is built for ten of those cups of raw rice, 1,800 cm³ of dry grain.
In a spreadsheet
Put length, width and height in centimetres in columns A, B and C. In D use =A2*B2*C2, which gives cubic centimetres, and in E use =D2/1000, which gives litres. For a cylinder, =PI()*(A2/2)^2*B2/1000 gives litres directly from diameter and height. Format with one decimal, and compare the capacities of your tins in one table.
Rounding
The factor 1,000 is exact, so rounding is your decision. Match the precision of the input: a tin measured to the nearest centimetre gives a volume good to about two significant figures. 2,093 cm³ becomes 2.1 L, not 2.093. Round at the end, and keep the extra digits in the spreadsheet while you work.
A mental trick
To divide by 1,000 in your head, shift the point three places. For 7,400 cm³, the answer is 7.4 L. For 850 cm³, it is 0.85 L. For 52 cm³, 0.052 L. If you find a long number awkward, split it into thousands: 12,500 is twelve thousand five hundred, so 12.5 L. Reading numbers aloud in this way avoids losing a digit.
Reference values
100 cm³ is 0.1 L, 250 cm³ is 0.25 L, 500 cm³ is 0.5 L, 750 cm³ is 0.75 L, 1,000 cm³ is 1 L, 2,000 cm³ is 2 L, 5,000 cm³ is 5 L and 10,000 cm³ is 10 L. Use these marks to see at once whether a result is plausible; if you convert cm³ to L and your answer is far from them, repeat the division.
Checking by reversing
To make sure that your “convert cm³ to L” calculation result is correct, multiply it by 1,000. If 2,093 cm³ gave 2.093 L, then 2.093 times 1,000 returns 2,093. A second check is the size of the number: it should have three fewer digits before the decimal point than the number you began with. If it has only two fewer, you divided by 100.
Teaching the idea
Pour water from a 1 L measuring jug into a box that measures 10 by 10 by 10 cm. It fills the box exactly. This shows pupils that a litre is a cube with a 10 cm edge, and that its volume is 1,000 cm³, not 100. Many students expect the factor to match the factor for lengths, and the box proves that volume scales with the cube.
Cake pans of unusual shape
A heart-shaped tin of 22 cm across and 6 cm deep has a capacity of roughly 1,900 cm³, and a bundt pan that the maker calls 2.4 L holds 2,400 cm³ when filled to the rim. Shaped tins rarely list dimensions that you can multiply, so the quickest test is to fill the tin with water from a measuring jug and read the litres. The result, converted to cubic centimetres, can then be used to scale any recipe designed for a different pan.
Substituting one tin for another
A recipe for a 23 cm round tin, 6 cm deep, with a capacity of 2,493 cm³, can be baked in a 20 by 30 cm tray of 5 cm depth, which holds 3,000 cm³. The tray is about 20 percent larger, so the cake will be thinner. To keep the thickness, scale the recipe by the ratio of capacities, 1.2, or accept a thinner result. When you convert cm³ to L for both tins, the comparison is clear to everyone in the kitchen.
Teapots, jugs and carafes
A teapot for four holds about 1,000 cm³, a water jug 1.5 L holds 1,500 cm³ and a glass carafe of 0.5 L holds 500 cm³. A decanter for a standard wine bottle of 750 cm³ must hold at least 0.75 L, plus air space. A cook comparing serving vessels uses the same step each time: measure or look up the volume in cubic centimetres, then divide by 1,000 to name it in litres.
Coffee, tea and espresso
An espresso cup holds 60 cm³, 0.06 L. A mug holds 350 cm³, 0.35 L. A moka pot for six cups holds 300 cm³. A 1.7 L kettle holds 1,700 cm³ of water. Making a French press for four people takes about 1 L, 1,000 cm³, and the coffee is typically measured at 60 g per litre. Using one volume unit throughout the recipe keeps ratios correct whether you think in cups or in cubic centimetres.
What a litre weighs
A litre of water weighs 1 kg, so 1,500 cm³ of water weighs 1.5 kg. Milk is a little denser, 1.03 kg per litre. Olive oil is lighter, about 0.91 kg. Honey is much heavier, 1.42 kg per litre. If a recipe lists ingredients by volume and your scale reads grams, convert cubic centimetres to litres first and then multiply by the density to get the weight.
Soups, stocks and jam
A pot of 9 L holds 9,000 cm³ of stock. Simmered down by a third, it leaves about 6 L. Jam makers use a pan that is at least three times the volume of the fruit, since the boiling mixture rises. For 1.5 L of fruit, that means a pan of 4.5 L or more, 4,500 cm³. The “convert cm³ to L” calculation step turns the size of the pan into the number you need to compare against the recipe.
Pressure cookers and slow cookers
A 6 L pressure cooker has 6,000 cm³, but safe filling is two thirds at most, or half for foods that foam, so the useful volume is 3 to 4 L. A slow cooker of 6.5 L holds 6,500 cm³ and should be at least half full. Both limits are fractions of the capacity, so you need the capacity in a form that you can multiply, and litres are the easiest.
Ice and freezer trays
A tray with twelve cubes of 3 by 3 by 3 cm holds 324 cm³, 0.32 L, though the trays are rarely filled to the top. Water expands by about 9 percent when it freezes, so 1 L of water makes about 1.09 L of ice, 1,090 cm³. Ice cubes of 25 mm have 15.6 cm³ each. A bag of 2 kg of ice is therefore roughly 2.2 L of ice, which helps you plan a cooler for a picnic.
Fuel and oil
A motorbike tank of 14 L holds 14,000 cm³. A car tank of 50 L holds 50,000 cm³. An oil sump of 4 L holds 4,000 cm³. Fuel economy is quoted per 100 km in litres, and engine makers talk of cubic centimetres of displacement, so cars give you both units on one sheet: a 1,600 cm³ engine is a 1.6 L engine, and the “convert cm³ to L” calculation step is simply dividing by 1,000.
Water bottles and hydration
A sports bottle of 750 cm³ is 0.75 L. A hydration bladder of 2 L holds 2,000 cm³. A person drinking 2.5 L a day takes in 2,500 cm³. Bottles are usually marked in both millilitres and litres, and it is convenient that millilitres equal cubic centimetres, so a bottle that measures 6 cm across and 27 cm tall holds about 763 cm³.
More values for convert cm³ to L
A longer list of conversions
If the value you need is not in the first list, these further conversions may be close enough to read off directly:
- 0.1 cm³ = 0.0001 L
- 0.5 cm³ = 0.0005 L
- 3 cm³ = 0.003 L
- 4 cm³ = 0.004 L
- 7 cm³ = 0.007 L
- 15 cm³ = 0.015 L
- 20 cm³ = 0.02 L
- 75 cm³ = 0.075 L
- 200 cm³ = 0.2 L
- 500 cm³ = 0.5 L
- 2,000 cm³ = 2 L
- 10,000 cm³ = 10 L
Mistakes when you convert cm³ to L
Dividing by 100
That factor belongs to areas or to some lengths. For volumes, divide by 1,000.
Using outside dimensions
Pots and tins have walls. For capacity, use inside dimensions or subtract the thickness from each side.
Forgetting the fill level
Brim capacity is not usable capacity. Cakes, jams and pressure cookers all need headroom.
Quick answers
How many litres are in a cubic centimetre?
0.001.
How do I convert cm³ to L?
Divide by 1,000.
How many cubic centimetres are in a litre?
1,000.
What is 2,500 cm³ in litres?
2.5 L.
Does the number I type leave my device?
No, it stays in your browser.
Related pages and a last word
If you work with volumes, these conversions are close at hand: Convert cm³ to in³, Convert cm³ to ml, Convert ft³ to L, Convert gal to L, Convert L to gal, Convert km to mi, Convert mi to km, Convert °C to °F, Convert °F to °C. The reverse of this page is Convert L to cm³.
To sum up: to convert cm³ to L, divide by 1,000, remember that the factor is ten cubed and write the unit beside the result. The figure you enter is processed locally, with no account and no upload.