Cubic metre
The cubic metre (symbol m³) is the SI unit of volume. It is a cube with a length, height, and width of one metre, with 1,000 litres of space.
In the many places it is spelled "cubic meter". Other names are stère and kilolitre or kiloliter.
Conversions
1 cubic metre equals:
- 1,000 litres
- Approximately 35.3 cubic feet
- Approximately 1.31 cubic yards
- Approximately 6.29 oil barrels
A cubic metre of pure water at the temperature of maximum density (3.98 °C) and standard atmospheric pressure (101.325 kPa) has a mass of 1000 kg, or one tonne. At 0 °C, the freezing point of water, it is slightly less, 999.972 kg.
It is sometimes abbreviated cu m, m3, M3, m^3, m**3, when superscript characters or markup are not available/accessible (i.e. in some typewritten documents and postings in Usenet newsgroups).
Abbreviated CBM in the freight business and MTQ (or numeric code 49) in international trade.
Multiples and submultiples
Multiples
- Cubic decametre
- the volume of a cube of side length one decametre (10 m)
- equal to a megalitre
- 1 dam3 = 1,000 m3 = 1 ML
- Cubic hectometre
- the volume of a cube of side length one hectometre (100 m)
- equal to a gigalitre
- 1 hm3 = 1,000,000 m3 = 1 GL
- Cubic kilometre
- the volume of a cube of side length one kilometre (1,000 m)
- equal to a teralitre
- 1 km3 = 1,000,000,000 m3 = 1 TL
Submultiples
- Cubic decimetre
- the volume of a cube of side length one decimetre (0.1 m)
- equal to a litre
- 1 dm3 = 0.001 m3 = 1 L
- Cubic centimetre
- the volume of a cube of side length one centimetre (0.01 m)
- equal to a millilitre
- 1 cm3 = 0.000001 m3 = 10-6 m3 = 1 mL
- Cubic millimetre
- the volume of a cube of side length one millimetre (0.001 m)
- equal to a microlitre
- 1 mm3 = 0.000000001 m3 = 10-9 m3 = 1 µL