Common volume units:

• Cubic meter (m³): SI unit
• Liter (L): everyday liquids
• Milliliter (mL): small quantities
• Gallon (gal): US/UK measure
• Fluid ounce (fl oz): US/UK small

Key relationships:

• 1 m³ = 1000 L = 264.17 US gal
• 1 L = 0.264 US gal = 0.220 UK gal
• 1 US gal = 3.785 L = 0.833 UK gal
• 1 UK gal = 4.546 L = 1.201 US gal

Liter and metric units:

The liter was introduced in France in 1795 during the French Revolution as part of the metric system. Originally defined as the volume of a cube with 10cm sides, it's now defined as 1 cubic decimeter.

Gallon measurement:

The gallon has evolved over centuries, with different definitions in the UK and US. The US gallon is based on the wine gallon of 231 cubic inches, while the Imperial gallon was defined in 1824 as the volume of 10 pounds of water.

Cubic units:

Cubic measurements derive directly from the respective length units. The cubic meter became the SI unit of volume when the metric system was adopted internationally.

Metric volumes are used for:

• Scientific measurements (mL, L, m³)
• Beverage containers in most countries
• Fuel sales outside North America
• International shipping and trade

US Customary volumes for:

• Cooking recipes in the US
• Beverage containers in the US
• Fuel sales in the US (gallons)
• Building materials (cubic feet)

Imperial volumes for:

• Traditional UK recipes
• UK beer (pints)
• Historical documentation
• Some Commonwealth countries