Why is 1 cubic meter 1000 liters?

Question

Can anyone explain why $1\ \mathrm{m}^3$ is $1000$ liters?

I just don't get it.

1 cubic meter is $1\times 1\times1$ meter. A cube. It has units $\mathrm{m}^3$.

A liter is liquid amount measurement. 1 liter of milk, 1 liter of water, etc.

Does that mean if I pump $1000$ liters of water they would take exactly $1$ cubic meter of space?

I can't wrap my head around.

Answer 1

1 liter is, by definition, 1 cubic decimeter, where 1 decimeter is 1/10 meter.

So $1000\,\mathrm{l} = 1000\,\mathrm{dm^3} = 1000\,(1/10\,\mathrm{m})^3 = 1000/10^3\,\mathrm{m^3} = 1\,\mathrm{m^3}$.

Answer 2

Originally:

• the metre was defined as 1/10,000,000th of the distance from the North pole to the equator at sea level;
• the litre was defined as 1/1,000th of a cubic metre;
• the kilogram was defined as the mass of a litre of water at freezing point.

Nowadays we have more precise standards, which don't rely on the density of water. But these relations are still very accurate.

Answer 3

Density = weight per unit volume (water density = 1 Gram per 1 Cubic centimeter)

i.e Density X 1 Centimeter cube = 1 Gram of water

   1 X 1 cc = 1 Gram

   1 x 1 cc X 1000 = 1 Gram X 1000

    1000 cc = 1000 Gram = 1000 Milli liter = 1 Liter

    1000 cc x 1000 = 1 Liter x 1000

    1 Cubic meter =  1000 Liter