cubic metre

SI coherent derived unit

Name	Symbol	Derived quantity
cubic metre	m3	volume
Definition The cubic metre, symbol m3, is the SI coherent derived unit of volume. One cubic metre is equal to the volume of a cube with edges one metre in length.

Volume

Volume is the quantity that expresses the size of a three-dimensional space.

Capacity

The internal volume of a container, especially one intended to hold a liquid, is often described as the container’s capacity.

The metric system makes no distinction between the terms capacity and volume – all three-dimensional spaces are measured with the same units.

Non-SI units of volume

The litre, symbol L or l, is a non-SI unit of volume, accepted for use with the SI. It is equal to one cubic decimetre, symbol dm³.

SI prefixes can be used with the litre; one microlitre is equal to one cubic millimetre, and one millilitre is equal to one cubic centimetre.

Orders of magnitude

1000 mm3	=  1 cm3	=  1000 µL	=  1 mL	=	10-6 m3
1000 cm3	=  1 dm3	=  1000 mL	=  1 L	=	10-3 m3
1000 dm3	=  1 m3	=  1000 L	=  1 kL	=	100 m3
1000 m3	=  1 dam3	=  1000 kL	=  1 ML	=	103 m3
1000 dam3	=  1 hm3	=  1000 ML	=  1 GL	=	106 m3
1000 hm3	=  1 km3	=  1000 GL	=  1 TL	=	109 m3

Usage

Abreviations, such as cu.m. and CU.M., must not be used in place of the SI symbol m³.