Convert L to cm³ litres ↔ cubic centimetres Free Online Secure
Type a value in litres and read it in cubic centimetres 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 L to cm³ (litres ↔ cubic centimetres)
| L | cm³ |
|---|---|
| 1 | 1000 |
| 2 | 2000 |
| 3 | 3000 |
| 5 | 5000 |
| 10 | 10000 |
| 20 | 20000 |
| 50 | 50000 |
| 100 | 100000 |
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
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.
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 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.
Watering cans, plant feed and cleaning mixes: litres into cubic centimetres
The label on a bottle of plant feed says 5 cm³ per litre, and your watering can holds 10 litres. How much feed goes in? Ten times five, or 50 cm³. Questions like this are everywhere in the garden and around the house, and they all start by putting the container in the same unit as the dose. To convert L to cm³ you multiply by 1,000: 10 L is 10,000 cm³, and 0.25 L is 250 cm³. This page multiplies as you type, and the text below shows how the conversion works for dilutions, sprays and household mixes.
Ahead you will find the rule with examples, a note on each unit, a comparison, a tour of garden and household situations and the slips to avoid. All arithmetic happens in your browser; nothing you enter is sent anywhere.
How to convert L to cm³: multiply 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 L to cm³, multiply the litres by 1,000, or move the decimal point three places to the right. So 0.75 L is 750 cm³, 3.2 L is 3,200 cm³ and 0.015 L is 15 cm³. To go back, divide cubic centimetres by 1,000.
Worked examples
A 9 L watering can holds 9,000 cm³. A 750 mL spray bottle holds 750 cm³. A 5 L bucket holds 5,000 cm³, and a dilution of 20 cm³ per litre for it needs 100 cm³ of concentrate. A trigger spray of 0.5 L is 500 cm³.
Why three zeros
The litre is a thousand times the cubic centimetre, so changing to the smaller unit makes the number a thousand times bigger. Moving the point two places, as you do with lengths, leaves your answer ten times too small.
A quick check
Cubic centimetres are the smaller unit, so the figure must gain three digits. If your “convert L to cm³” calculation result gained only two, you used the wrong factor.
The litre
A cube of ten centimetres
The litre is the volume of a cube 10 cm by 10 cm by 10 cm. It is the unit on bottles, buckets, tanks and watering cans, and the one most people use when they think of liquid.
Where it appears
Garden containers, cleaning products, paint, fuel and drinks.
The cubic centimetre
A cube one centimetre on a side
The cubic centimetre is a thousandth of a litre, equal to one millilitre. It is the unit of small doses, measuring caps and syringes, and the one used on labels for dilution rates.
Where it appears
Dilution rates, dosing caps, small samples and engine sizes.
Litre and cubic centimetre compared
A litre holds a thousand cubic centimetres. Containers are sold in litres and doses are given in cubic centimetres or millilitres, so the two units meet every time you mix something. A dose of 5 cm³ per litre applied to 10 L is 50 cm³, and the arithmetic is simple once both are in cubic centimetres.
No rounding is involved; only the position of the decimal point. Write the unit next to each number and keep the working visible on the label of your mixing bottle so nobody has to guess.
Where the conversion appears
Plant feed and fertiliser
Liquid fertiliser is often diluted at 5 cm³ per litre of water. A 10 L can needs 50 cm³, a 2 L bottle 10 cm³. For a hose-end sprayer that treats 100 L, you need 500 cm³. Most caps are marked in steps of 5 or 10 cm³, so a calculation in cubic centimetres tells you how many steps to fill. When you convert L to cm³ for the can, the dose follows at once.
Cleaning mixes
A general-purpose cleaner might call for 20 cm³ in a 0.5 L spray bottle, which is 40 cm³ per litre, a dilution of 1 part in 25. A floor wash at 100 cm³ in a 10 L bucket is 10 cm³ per litre. Writing the bucket as 10,000 cm³ shows the ratio at a glance: 100 in 10,000 is 1 percent.
Weed killers and sprays
A knapsack sprayer holds 10 or 15 L, 10,000 or 15,000 cm³. A label that says 20 cm³ per litre needs 200 cm³ for a full 10 L tank. Always follow the label exactly, wear the protective equipment it specifies, and mix only the amount you need, because rates are legally binding.
Percentage dilutions
A 1 percent solution has 10 cm³ of concentrate in each litre, 1,000 cm³. A 2 percent solution has 20 cm³ per litre, a 5 percent solution 50 cm³. A bucket of 12 L at 2 percent therefore needs 240 cm³. Many labels give percentages while the cap is marked in cubic centimetres, so the litres to cubic centimetres step is where the two meet.
Cooking oil and other liquids
A bottle of 0.75 L of olive oil holds 750 cm³. A tablespoon is 15 cm³, so the bottle holds 50 tablespoons. A recipe that needs 60 cm³ of oil uses four tablespoons. Measuring spoons and jugs combine well when you convert L to cm³ for the bottle and keep everything in cubic centimetres, and it helps when you scale a recipe up or down.
Measuring caps and scoops
A cap on a detergent bottle is often 30 or 50 cm³. A laundry load may need one cap, 50 cm³, for a 5 kg drum. A 3 L bottle of 3,000 cm³ then makes 60 loads. Marketing claims about the number of washes depend on dose volumes in cubic centimetres, so a conversion lets you check the claim against the price.
In a spreadsheet
Put litres in column A and use =A2*1000 in column B. Use =B2/1000 for the reverse. A third column with =B2*C2/1000, where C2 is the dose in cm³ per litre, gives the amount of concentrate. Format the result with no decimals for cubic centimetres and one for litres, so that the numbers match the markings on your measuring jug.
Rounding
The factor is exact, so rounding is your decision. Match the precision of the equipment: a jug marked at 50 cm³ intervals does not justify a dose of 37.5 cm³. Round to the nearest mark and keep a note of the real figure if the label is strict. Rounding up by a few cubic centimetres rarely matters for plant feed but does for resins and for chemicals.
A mental shortcut
To multiply by 1,000 in your head, shift the point three places or add three zeros. For 6.4 L, the answer is 6,400 cm³. For 0.35 L, 350 cm³. For 0.002 L, 2 cm³. Say the number aloud as you work: six point four litres is six thousand four hundred cubic centimetres, which makes it harder to lose a zero.
Reference values
0.01 L is 10 cm³, 0.05 L is 50 cm³, 0.1 L is 100 cm³, 0.25 L is 250 cm³, 0.5 L is 500 cm³, 1 L is 1,000 cm³, 5 L is 5,000 cm³ and 10 L is 10,000 cm³. Use these marks to see at once whether a result is plausible; if you convert L to cm³ and land far from them, repeat the multiplication.
Checking by reversing
To make sure your “convert L to cm³” calculation result is right, divide it by 1,000. If 10 L gave 10,000 cm³, then 10,000 divided by 1,000 returns 10. A second check is the digit count: the figure in cubic centimetres should have three more digits before the point than the figure in litres. If it has two more, you multiplied by 100.
Drip irrigation
A drip emitter rated at 2 L per hour delivers 2,000 cm³ per hour, about 33 cm³ per minute. Twenty plants watered for 30 minutes each get 1,000 cm³, so the system uses 20 L, 20,000 cm³. Irrigation catalogues give flow in litres per hour, while the soil moisture needs of a pot or a seedling are easier to picture in cubic centimetres, so gardeners often convert L to cm³ to plan the watering time.
Pump bottles and dispensers
A hand-soap pump delivers roughly 1.5 cm³ per press. A 250 cm³ bottle, 0.25 L, therefore gives about 165 presses. A refill pouch of 1 L holds 1,000 cm³ and refills four such bottles. Labels that advertise the number of washes use a dose in cubic centimetres, and converting the bottle from litres lets you test the claim against the price per press.
Rain butts and watering
A water butt of 200 L holds 200,000 cm³. It fills in 2.5 mm of rain over an 80 m² roof. A 10 L can empties it twenty times. A plant that needs 1 L a week, 1,000 cm³, has enough for 200 weeks from one butt, although evaporation and uneven rain mean the real figure is far lower. The arithmetic is simple once both are in cubic centimetres.
Ratios such as 1 to 10 and 1 to 50
A 1 to 10 mix means one part concentrate to ten parts water, so 100 cm³ in 1 L of water, in total 1.1 L. A 1 to 50 mix is 20 cm³ in 1 L. Some labels say 1 in 10, meaning one part in ten total, which is 100 cm³ in 1 L total, a different strength. Always check which meaning applies, because the difference is about ten percent in the amount of concentrate.
Seed trays and potting mixes
A seed tray of 38 by 24 by 5 cm holds 4,560 cm³ of compost, about 4.6 L. A 9 cm pot holds roughly 400 cm³, 0.4 L, so one 50 L bag of potting mix fills 125 of them. Growers compare bags by litres, trays by dimensions, and the quickest bridge is a conversion to cubic centimetres: divide 50,000 by 400 and you have your count. It saves buying a bag too few.
Bird baths, troughs and ponds
A bird bath of 40 cm across and 5 cm deep holds about 6,280 cm³, 6.3 L, when full, though birds prefer 2 to 3 cm of water, closer to 3 L. A livestock trough of 150 by 50 by 40 cm holds 300,000 cm³, 300 L. Garden ponds are planned in litres, the treatments in cubic centimetres per 1,000 litres, so the same conversion turns up again.
Compost tea and homemade feeds
A gardener may dilute a liquid seaweed feed at 10 cm³ per litre. For a 15 L container that means 150 cm³. Homemade feeds are harder to dose exactly, but measuring jugs marked in millilitres make it easy to get the right amount. Keep a jug for garden use only, labelled clearly, and never use food containers for chemical products.
Paint and stains
A 2.5 L tin of paint holds 2,500 cm³ and covers about 30 square metres on a first coat. A sample pot of 0.25 L has 250 cm³ and covers about 3 m². Thinning rules use percentages: 10 percent water in 2.5 L means 250 cm³. Convert the tin to cubic centimetres and the percentage becomes a number you can pour.
Adhesives, sealants and resins
Two-part resins are mixed by volume, such as 2 to 1. For a 0.3 L batch, that is 200 cm³ of resin and 100 cm³ of hardener. A small mistake changes the cure, so the measuring cups should be marked in cubic centimetres or millilitres. A tube of sealant of 0.31 L holds 310 cm³ and, at a bead of 6 mm, lays about 11 m.
Swimming pool chemicals
A small paddling pool of 1 m³ holds 1,000 L, 1,000,000 cm³. Dosing is typically in grams or cubic centimetres per cubic metre of water, so a dose of 30 cm³ per m³ means 30 cm³ for the whole pool. A pool of 30 m³ would need 900 cm³. Always check the product's instructions, and never mix chemicals together.
Aquarium water treatment
A 60 L aquarium has 60,000 cm³ of water. A conditioner that asks for 5 cm³ per 25 L would need 12 cm³ for the full tank. Because tanks hold less than their rated volume once gravel and decorations are added, many aquarists calculate on 80 or 90 percent of the nominal litres. Converting litres to cubic centimetres makes the sums with a syringe or a cap straightforward.
Fuel mixes for small engines
A two-stroke engine runs on petrol mixed with oil at 1 to 50. For 5 L of petrol, 5,000 cm³, you need 100 cm³ of oil. For a 1 L can, 20 cm³. Measuring bottles for two-stroke oil are marked in cubic centimetres for this purpose. A mistake in the ratio can damage the engine, so convert L to cm³ first, work in one unit and check the result against the manual.
Windscreen washer and antifreeze
A screenwash concentrate may be diluted 1 to 4 in summer and 1 to 1 in winter. In a 5 L reservoir, that means 1,000 cm³ of concentrate with 4 L of water in summer, or 2,500 cm³ with 2.5 L in winter. The reservoir capacity is marked in litres, the dose in the instructions in millilitres, so the “convert L to cm³” calculation step is the way to keep both on one scale.
More values for convert L to cm³
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 L = 100 cm³
- 0.5 L = 500 cm³
- 3 L = 3,000 cm³
- 4 L = 4,000 cm³
- 7 L = 7,000 cm³
- 15 L = 15,000 cm³
- 20 L = 20,000 cm³
- 75 L = 75,000 cm³
- 200 L = 200,000 cm³
- 500 L = 500,000 cm³
- 2,000 L = 2,000,000 cm³
- 10,000 L = 10,000,000 cm³
Mistakes when you convert L to cm³
Multiplying by 100
That factor belongs to lengths. For volumes, multiply by 1,000.
Mixing up the dilution wording
1 to 10 and 1 in 10 are different strengths. Read the label to see which one is meant.
Overdosing
More is not better. Follow the label, measure carefully and mix only what you need.
Quick answers
How many cubic centimetres are in a litre?
1,000.
How do I convert L to cm³?
Multiply by 1,000.
How many litres are in a cubic centimetre?
0.001.
What is 2.5 L in cubic centimetres?
2,500 cm³.
Does the number I type leave my device?
No, it stays in your browser.
More pages and a closing note
For other volume conversions, see Convert L to gal, Convert L to fl oz, Convert ml to cm³, Convert in³ to cm³, Convert cm³ to m³, Convert km to mi, Convert mi to km, Convert °C to °F, Convert °F to °C. The opposite direction is Convert cm³ to L.
In short, you convert L to cm³ by multiplying by 1,000, the cube of ten, and writing the unit beside the answer. Your figure is calculated on your own device, with no account and no upload.