Liquid Volume: Pints, Quarts, Gallons and Liters Chart

A US gallon holds 4 quarts, 8 pints, 16 cups or 128 fluid ounces, and it is 3.785 liters. A quart is 32 fl oz (0.946 L), a pint 16 fl oz (473 mL) and a liter 1,000 mL, which is 33.8 fl oz or a little more than a quart. The UK imperial gallon is larger, at 4.546 liters.

Quick reference: liquid volume chart

Unit	US fl oz	US cups	US pints	US quarts	US gallons	Milliliters	Liters
1 US fluid ounce	1	1/8	1/16	1/32	1/128	29.57	0.0296
1 US cup	8	1	1/2	1/4	1/16	236.59	0.2366
1 US pint	16	2	1	1/2	1/8	473.18	0.4732
1 US quart	32	4	2	1	1/4	946.35	0.9464
1 US gallon	128	16	8	4	1	3,785.41	3.7854
1 liter	33.81	4.227	2.113	1.0567	0.2642	1,000	1
1 UK (imperial) pint	19.22	2.402	1.201	0.6005	0.1501	568.26	0.5683
1 UK (imperial) quart	38.43	4.804	2.402	1.2009	0.3002	1,136.52	1.1365
1 UK (imperial) gallon	153.72	19.215	9.608	4.8038	1.2009	4,546.09	4.5461

US values follow NIST SP 811 (Appendix B.8), where the US gallon is 231 cubic inches (3.785412 L); the imperial gallon is exactly 4.54609 L under the UK Weights and Measures Act 1985. Each section below covers one conversion in detail.

How many cups in a pint?

A US liquid pint holds 2 cups. That is also 16 fluid ounces and 0.4732 liters. To convert pints to cups, multiply by 2: 3 pints is 6 cups, and half a pint is 1 cup. To go from cups to pints, divide by 2.

The US liquid pint is one eighth of a US gallon and equals 16 US fluid ounces. A US cup is 8 fluid ounces, so 16 ÷ 8 = 2 cups. NIST's metric values agree: 473.1765 mL ÷ 236.5882 mL = 2.000.

The pint sits in the middle of the US liquid ladder. A cup is half a pint, a quart is 2 pints, and a gallon is 8 pints.

Pints to cups chart

Pints	Cups	Fluid ounces	Milliliters (approx.)
1/4 pint	1/2	4	118
1/2 pint	1	8	237
1 pint	2	16	473
1 1/2 pints	3	24	710
2 pints (1 quart)	4	32	946
3 pints	6	48	1,420
4 pints (half gallon)	8	64	1,893
8 pints (1 gallon)	16	128	3,785

The pints to cups and cups to pints converters handle other amounts, and pints to ounces gives the fluid ounce count directly.

How many ounces are in a pint?

A US pint is 16 fluid ounces, so a standard 16 oz bottle or cup is exactly one pint. A fluid ounce measures volume, not weight. A pint of water and a pint of honey both take up 16 fl oz, but they weigh different amounts, so the 16 should not be read as 16 weight ounces. The same holds for the 32 fl oz in a quart and the 128 in a gallon: a quart of water, oil or honey occupies the same 32 fl oz, but each weighs a different number of ounces. A pint of ice cream is likewise sold by volume as 16 fl oz (2 cups), with its weight printed separately on the carton. See fluid ounces vs ounces for the difference.

Worked examples: cups in a pint

Example 1: scaling a recipe

A sauce recipe needs 3 1/2 pints of stock. 3.5 × 2 = 7 cups. Half of the recipe needs 3.5 cups.

Example 2: cups to pints

A batch of lemonade uses 9 cups of liquid. 9 ÷ 2 = 4.5 pints, which is 2 quarts plus 1 cup.

Example 3: metric

A 500 mL bottle holds 500 ÷ 236.588 = 2.11 cups. A US pint is 473.18 mL, so the bottle holds about 26.8 mL more than one pint.

Quick ways to remember: cups in a pint

• Pint = 2 cups = 16 fl oz. The 16 oz pint bottle is the easiest anchor.
• Cup, pint, quart double at each step: 1 cup, 2 cups (pint), 4 cups (quart), and 16 cups make the gallon.
• Half a pint is a cup, which is the 8 fl oz glass.

How many cups in a quart?

A US liquid quart holds 4 cups. That is also 2 pints or 32 fluid ounces, and 0.9464 liters. To convert, multiply quarts by 4: 2 quarts is 8 cups, and half a quart is 2 cups. To go from cups to quarts, divide by 4.

The US liquid quart is a quarter of a US gallon and equals 32 US fluid ounces. A US cup is 8 fluid ounces, so 32 ÷ 8 = 4 cups. Checked against NIST's metric values, 946.3529 mL ÷ 236.5882 mL = 4.000. The US liquid pint sits in the middle: 2 cups per pint, 2 pints per quart.

Quarts to cups chart

Quarts	Cups	Pints	Fluid ounces	Liters (approx.)
1/4 quart	1	1/2	8	0.237
1/2 quart	2	1	16	0.473
3/4 quart	3	1 1/2	24	0.710
1 quart	4	2	32	0.946
1 1/2 quarts	6	3	48	1.420
2 quarts	8	4	64	1.893
3 quarts	12	6	96	2.839
4 quarts (1 gallon)	16	8	128	3.785

The quarts to cups and cups to quarts converters handle other amounts.

Worked examples: cups in a quart

Example 1: a soup recipe

A recipe makes 2.5 quarts of soup. 2.5 × 4 = 10 cups, or ten 1-cup servings.

Example 2: converting cups to quarts

A pot holds 18 cups. 18 ÷ 4 = 4.5 quarts, which is 1 gallon plus 2 cups.

Example 3: metric (cups in a quart)

A quart is 946.35 mL, while a 1 liter carton is 1,000 mL, so 1,000 ÷ 236.588 = 4.23 cups. A recipe calling for a quart needs about 54 mL less than that carton.

Quick ways to remember: cups in a quart

• Quart = quarter gallon, so 4 quarts make a gallon.
• Quart → pints → cups: 1, 2, 4. Each unit doubles.
• Quart = 32 fl oz, two 16 oz pint bottles.

How many cups in a gallon?

A US gallon holds 16 cups. That is 128 fluid ounces split into 8-ounce cups, and it is also 8 pints or 4 quarts. To convert gallons to cups, multiply by 16: 2 gallons is 32 cups, half a gallon is 8 cups. To go from cups to gallons, divide by 16.

A US gallon is 128 US fluid ounces and a US cup is 8 of them, so 128 ÷ 8 = 16. In NIST's metric values: 3,785.412 mL ÷ 236.5882 mL = 16.000. The path goes gallon → 4 quarts → 8 pints → 16 cups, doubling at each step after the first.

Gallon to cup chart

Gallons	Cups	Quarts	Fluid ounces	Milliliters (approx.)
1/16	1	1/4	8	237
1/8	2	1/2	16	473
1/4	4	1	32	946
1/2	8	2	64	1,893
3/4	12	3	96	2,839
1	16	4	128	3,785
2	32	8	256	7,571
5	80	20	640	18,927

Converters for any amount: gallons to cups and cups to gallons.

Worked examples: cups in a gallon

Example 1: batch iced tea

A recipe uses 1.5 cups of sugar syrup per gallon and the host wants 3.5 gallons. The drink volume is 3.5 × 16 = 56 cups, and the syrup is 3.5 × 1.5 = 5.25 cups.

Example 2: how many gallons is a pot?

A stockpot holds 52 cups. 52 ÷ 16 = 3.25 gallons, which is 3 gallons and 4 cups.

Example 3: servings

A gallon of punch served in 6-ounce cups gives 128 ÷ 6 = 21.3, so 21 full servings and a little left over.

Quick ways to remember: cups in a gallon

• Gallon = 16 cups, which is also 8 pints, 4 quarts or 128 oz.
• Each cup is 8 oz, and 16 × 8 = 128.
• Half a gallon is 8 cups, so a gallon is "two 8-cup halves".
• One cup is 1/16 of a gallon (0.0625).

How many quarts in a gallon?

A US gallon contains 4 quarts. The name says it: a quart is a "quarter" of a gallon. To convert, multiply gallons by 4 (3 gallons is 12 quarts) or divide quarts by 4 (10 quarts is 2.5 gallons). The same gallon is 8 pints, 16 cups or 128 fluid ounces.

The US gallon is 3.785412 liters in NIST's conversion tables, and the US liquid quart is 0.9463529 liters. Dividing, 3.785412 ÷ 0.9463529 = 4.0000. Each smaller unit then halves: a quart is 2 pints, a pint is 2 cups, and a cup is 8 fluid ounces.

Gallon to quart chart

Gallons	Quarts	Pints	Cups	Fluid ounces	Liters (approx.)
1/4	1	2	4	32	0.946
1/2	2	4	8	64	1.893
3/4	3	6	12	96	2.839
1	4	8	16	128	3.785
1 1/2	6	12	24	192	5.678
2	8	16	32	256	7.571
2 1/2	10	20	40	320	9.464
5	20	40	80	640	18.927

For other amounts use gallons to quarts or quarts to gallons.

Worked examples: quarts in a gallon

Example 1: buying paint or milk

A job needs 9 quarts of paint. 9 ÷ 4 = 2.25 gallons, so two 1-gallon cans and one extra quart. Buying 3 gallons would leave 3 quarts over.

Example 2: a stock pot

A recipe makes 1.75 gallons of stock. 1.75 × 4 = 7 quarts, which is also 14 pints or 28 cups.

Example 3: mixed amounts

6 gallons and 3 quarts is 6 × 4 + 3 = 27 quarts. To go back, 27 ÷ 4 = 6.75 gallons, and 0.75 gallon is 3 quarts.

Quick ways to remember: quarts in a gallon

• Quart = quarter gallon, so 4 of them fill a gallon.
• Big G rhyme: 1 gallon has 4 quarts, each quart has 2 pints, each pint has 2 cups.
• A quart is just under a liter (0.946 L), so a gallon is just under 4 liters.

How many ounces in a quart?

A US liquid quart contains 32 fluid ounces. That equals 4 cups, 2 pints, a quarter of a gallon and 0.9464 liters. To convert quarts to fluid ounces, multiply by 32: 2 quarts is 64 fl oz, and half a quart is 16 fl oz. To go back, divide by 32.

The US liquid quart is a quarter of a US gallon. A gallon is 128 US fluid ounces, so 128 ÷ 4 = 32. The same answer comes from the smaller units: a US cup is 8 fl oz and a quart is 4 cups, so 4 × 8 = 32.

NIST's metric values confirm it: a quart is 946.3529 mL and a fluid ounce is 29.57353 mL, and 946.3529 ÷ 29.57353 = 32.000.

Quarts to ounces chart

Quarts	Fluid ounces	Cups	Pints	Milliliters (approx.)
1/4 quart	8	1	1/2	237
1/2 quart	16	2	1	473
3/4 quart	24	3	1 1/2	710
1 quart	32	4	2	946
1 1/2 quarts	48	6	3	1,420
2 quarts	64	8	4	1,893
3 quarts	96	12	6	2,839
4 quarts (1 gallon)	128	16	8	3,785

The quarts to ounces and ounces to quarts converters handle other amounts.

Worked examples: ounces in a quart

Example 1: scaling a punch recipe

A punch recipe needs 3.5 quarts of juice. 3.5 × 32 = 112 fl oz, which is 14 cups.

Example 2: ounces to quarts

A container holds 80 fl oz. 80 ÷ 32 = 2.5 quarts, or 2 quarts and 1 pint.

Example 3: cans and bottles

A quart of broth is 32 fl oz. A 12 fl oz can holds 12 ÷ 32 = 0.375 quart, so 32 ÷ 12 = 2.67 cans fill one quart.

Example 4: quart versus liter

A 1 liter bottle holds 1,000 ÷ 29.57353 = 33.81 fl oz, which is 1.81 fl oz more than a quart. A recipe that calls for 1 quart can use a liter minus about 54 mL (1,000 − 946.35).

Quick ways to remember: ounces in a quart

• Quart = 32 fl oz. Gallon is 128, so a quart is a quarter of 128.
• Quart = two 16 oz pints, the size of a standard pint bottle (how many cups in a pint).
• Multiply by 32 for quarts to ounces; divide by 32 to return.

How many ounces in a gallon?

A US gallon contains 128 fluid ounces. That is 4 quarts, 8 pints or 16 cups, and about 3.785 liters. To convert gallons to fluid ounces, multiply by 128: 2 gallons is 256 fl oz, and half a gallon is 64 fl oz.

NIST's conversion factors give the US gallon as 3.785412 liters and the US fluid ounce as 29.57353 milliliters. Dividing, 3,785.412 ÷ 29.57353 = 128.000. The fluid ounce here is a unit of volume, not weight; see how many ounces in a cup for the difference.

Gallon, quart, pint and cup conversion chart

Unit	Fluid ounces	Cups	Pints	Quarts	Liters (approx.)
1 fluid ounce	1	1/8	1/16	1/32	0.0296
1 cup	8	1	1/2	1/4	0.2366
1 pint	16	2	1	1/2	0.4732
1 quart	32	4	2	1	0.9464
1/2 gallon	64	8	4	2	1.8927
1 gallon	128	16	8	4	3.7854

A quart is a quarter of a gallon, which is why 4 quarts fill one. Converters exist for each step: gallons to quarts, gallons to cups and gallons to oz.

How many ounces are in common fractions of a gallon?

Amount	Fluid ounces	Milliliters
1 gallon	128	3,785
3/4 gallon	96	2,839
1/2 gallon	64	1,893
1/4 gallon (1 quart)	32	946
1/8 gallon (1 pint)	16	473
1/16 gallon (1 cup)	8	237
2 gallons	256	7,571
5 gallons	640	18,927

Worked examples: ounces in a gallon

Example 1: filling bottles

How many 16.9 fl oz bottles fill a gallon? 128 ÷ 16.9 = 7.57 bottles: 7 full bottles (118.3 fl oz) with 9.7 fl oz left over. For 16 fl oz bottles it is exactly 8.

Example 2: a daily water goal

A goal of 64 fl oz per day is half a gallon, or 8 cups. A goal of one full gallon is 128 fl oz, or 16 cups. The gallons to liters converter gives the metric amount, 3.785 L.

Example 3: diluting a product per gallon

A label that calls for 2 fl oz of concentrate per gallon uses 2 ÷ 128 = 1/64 of the volume, or about 1.56% concentrate. For 5 gallons use 5 × 2 = 10 fl oz.

Example 4: converting to milliliters

2.5 gallons × 128 = 320 fl oz. 320 × 29.57353 = 9,463.5 mL, matching 2.5 × 3.785412 = 9.463 L.

Quick ways to remember: ounces in a gallon

• 128 = 2⁷. Halving a gallon seven times gets to 1 fl oz: 64, 32, 16, 8, 4, 2, 1.
• Gallon → quarts → pints → cups doubles each step after the first: 4, 8, 16.
• Cup = 8 fl oz, pint = 16, quart = 32, gallon = 128: each unit after the cup doubles the one before.

How many liters in a gallon?

A US gallon is 3.785 liters (NIST: 3.785412 L). Multiply gallons by 3.785 to get liters, and divide liters by 3.785 to get gallons. So 2 gallons is 7.57 L and 10 L is 2.64 gal. The British imperial gallon is larger at exactly 4.54609 L, so the country matters.

NIST lists the US gallon as 3.785412 liters and the imperial gallon, used in the UK and historically in Canada, as exactly 4.54609 liters. The liter is a metric volume unit equal to 0.001 cubic meters. The two gallons differ by a factor of 4.54609 ÷ 3.785412 = 1.2009, so an imperial gallon holds about 20% more. See US gallon and imperial gallon for the definitions, and US vs UK gallons for why they differ.

Formulas: liters in a gallon

liters = US gallons × 3.785
US gallons = liters ÷ 3.785   (or liters × 0.2642)
liters = imperial gallons × 4.546
imperial gallons = liters ÷ 4.546

The converters gallons to liters and liters to gallons handle any value.

Gallons to liters chart

Gallons	US liters	Imperial liters
1/4	0.95	1.14
1/2	1.89	2.27
1	3.79	4.55
2	7.57	9.09
2.5	9.46	11.37
3	11.36	13.64
5	18.93	22.73
10	37.85	45.46
15	56.78	68.19
20	75.71	90.92

Liters to gallons chart

Liters	US gallons	Imperial gallons
1	0.264	0.220
2	0.528	0.440
3	0.793	0.660
4	1.057	0.880
5	1.321	1.100
10	2.642	2.200
20	5.283	4.399
40	10.567	8.799
50	13.209	10.998

Worked examples: liters in a gallon

Example 1: a gallon of water in liters

A one-gallon jug holds 3.785 L, or 3,785 mL. Drinking 2 L a day is 2 ÷ 3.785 = 0.53 gal, a little over half a gallon.

Example 2: a fish tank

A 20-gallon aquarium holds 20 × 3.785412 = 75.7 L. A tank described as 75 L is therefore about 19.8 US gallons.

Example 3: a fuel tank

A car with a 13.2-gallon US tank holds 13.2 × 3.785412 = 50.0 L. A European car with a 50 L tank holds 50 ÷ 3.785412 = 13.2 US gallons.

Example 4: the wrong gallon

Ten imperial gallons are 45.46 L, while 10 US gallons are 37.85 L, a gap of 7.6 L. A UK fuel figure read as US gallons understates the volume by a sixth (3.785 ÷ 4.546 = 0.833).

Example 5: from a 4-liter jug

A 4 L jug is 4 ÷ 3.785412 = 1.057 US gallons, so it holds 5.7% more than a US gallon but 12% less than an imperial one (4 ÷ 4.54609 = 0.880).

Quick ways to remember: liters in a gallon

• 1 US gallon is about 3.8 L; 4 L is a decent upper estimate.
• 1 L is about 0.26 US gallons, or a little more than a quart (1.057 US quarts; see liters to quarts).
• Imperial is about 4.5 L per gallon.
• Check the country before converting a gallon figure for fuel or paint. The metric vs imperial guide lists other units with near-twin names.

For smaller volumes, liters to milliliters and liters to oz take over.

How many liters in a quart?

A US liquid quart is 0.9463529 liters, or about 0.946 L (946.35 mL), so a quart is slightly less than a liter. To convert quarts to liters multiply by 0.9463529; to convert liters to quarts multiply by 1.056688. Two quarts are 1.893 L, and 2 liters are 2.113 quarts.

NIST Appendix B.8 gives the US liquid quart as 0.9463529 liters. The quart is a quarter of a US gallon, and 3.785412 L ÷ 4 = 0.946353 L. A liter is therefore 1 ÷ 0.9463529 = 1.0567 quarts, about 5.7% more than a quart.

Formulas: liters in a quart

liters = quarts × 0.9463529
quarts = liters × 1.056688   (liters ÷ 0.9463529)
milliliters = quarts × 946.3529

Use the quarts to liters and liters to quarts converters, or ml to quarts.

Quarts to liters chart

US quarts	Liters
1/4	0.237
1/2	0.473
1	0.946
2	1.893
3	2.839
4 (1 gallon)	3.785
8	7.571

Liters to quarts chart

Liters	US quarts
0.5	0.528
1	1.057
1.5	1.585
2	2.113
3	3.170
5	5.283

Worked examples: liters in a quart

Example 1: a 2-quart pot

A 2-quart saucepan holds 2 × 0.9463529 = 1.893 L, short of a 2-liter bottle by 0.107 L.

Example 2: a 2-liter bottle

A 2 L bottle holds 2 × 1.056688 = 2.113 US quarts, or 67.6 fluid ounces (quarts and ounces).

Example 3: oil for a car

An engine that takes 5 quarts of oil needs 5 × 0.9463529 = 4.73 L. A 5-liter jug is 5.28 quarts.

Example 4: a quart of milk in milliliters

A quart of milk is 946.35 mL, so it is about 54 mL short of a liter carton.

Quick ways to estimate: liters in a quart

• Quarts to liters: subtract about 5% (4 quarts: 4 − 0.2 = 3.8 L, against 3.785).
• Liters to quarts: add about 5.7%, or treat them as equal for rough work.
• A US liquid quart is about 5.4% smaller than a liter and holds about 1.8 fl oz less (32 against 33.81).
• A gallon is 4 quarts = 3.785 L.
• Check the quart: the US dry quart (1.101221 L) and the UK quart (1.13652 L) are larger; see US vs UK quarts.

For other volumes browse the unit converters.

How many ounces in a liter?

One liter is 33.81 US fluid ounces. NIST gives the US fluid ounce as 29.57353 mL, so liters × 33.814 gives fluid ounces and fluid ounces × 0.02957 gives liters. A 2-liter bottle is 67.63 fl oz, and a 500 mL bottle is 16.91 fl oz. In the UK, a liter is 35.20 imperial fluid ounces.

A liter is 1,000 mL. The US fluid ounce is 29.57353 mL (NIST SP 811), so 1,000 ÷ 29.57353 = 33.814 fl oz. The imperial fluid ounce is 28.41306 mL, which gives 1,000 ÷ 28.41306 = 35.195 imperial fl oz per liter. Both are volumes, not weights; see ounces in a cup for the distinction.

Formulas: ounces in a liter

US fl oz = liters × 33.814
liters = US fl oz × 0.029574   (or ÷ 33.814)
imperial fl oz = liters × 35.195

The converters liters to oz, oz to liters and ml to oz accept any value.

Liters to ounces chart

Liters	US fluid ounces	Imperial fluid ounces
0.25 L (250 mL)	8.45	8.80
0.33 L (330 mL)	11.16	11.61
0.355 L (355 mL)	12.00	12.49
0.5 L	16.91	17.60
0.75 L	25.36	26.40
1 L	33.81	35.20
1.5 L	50.72	52.79
2 L	67.63	70.39
3 L	101.44	105.59

Ounces to liters chart

US fluid ounces	Milliliters	Liters
8	236.6	0.237
12	354.9	0.355
16	473.2	0.473
20	591.5	0.591
32	946.4	0.946
64	1,892.7	1.893
128	3,785.4	3.785

Worked examples: ounces in a liter

Example 1: a 2-liter bottle

A 2 L bottle holds 2 ÷ 0.0295735 = 67.63 fl oz. In US customary cups (236.588 mL each) that is 2,000 ÷ 236.588 = 8.45 cups.

Example 2: a daily water goal (ounces in a liter)

A goal of 64 fl oz is 64 × 29.57353 = 1,892.7 mL, or 1.89 L. A goal of 3 L is 101.4 fl oz, which is 0.79 gal (see liters in a gallon).

Example 3: a 330 mL can

A 330 mL can is 330 ÷ 29.57353 = 11.16 fl oz. A 12 fl oz can is 354.9 mL, 7.5% more than 330 mL.

Example 4: the label rule

Under 21 CFR 101.9(b)(5)(viii), 1 fl oz means 30 mL on a nutrition label. A 1 L drink therefore reads as 1,000 ÷ 30 = 33.3 fl oz on a label, while the true value is 33.8 fl oz. The label figure is 1.4% lower (30 ÷ 29.57353 = 1.014).

Example 5: an imperial pint

Twenty imperial fluid ounces are 20 × 28.41306 = 568.3 mL, which is only 19.2 US fluid ounces (568.26 ÷ 29.57353). The same volume gives a different ounce count under each system.

Quick ways to remember: ounces in a liter

• 1 L is about 34 fl oz (33.8 exactly).
• 500 mL is about 17 fl oz, and 2 L is about 68 fl oz.
• Labels round: a drink shown as "33.8 fl oz" is exactly a liter; "33 fl oz" or "34 fl oz" is usually rounding.
• US and UK ounces differ by 4% (29.57 vs 28.41 mL). The metric vs imperial guide lists other differences.

How many mL in a liter?

A liter is exactly 1,000 milliliters. To convert liters to mL, multiply by 1,000 (2.5 L is 2,500 mL); to convert mL to liters, divide by 1,000 (350 mL is 0.35 L). In practice, move the decimal point three places. The prefix "milli" means one thousandth.

A liter is a cubic decimeter, 10 cm × 10 cm × 10 cm = 1,000 cm³. A milliliter is one cubic centimeter. NIST's conversion table lists the liter as exactly 0.001 m³, and 0.001 m³ is 1,000 cm³. Use liters to ml or ml to liters for any value; ml to cc covers the cubic-centimeter reading.

Milliliter to liter chart

Milliliters	Liters
1	0.001
5	0.005
15	0.015
100	0.1
250	0.25
330	0.33
500	0.5
750	0.75
1,000	1
1,500	1.5
2,000	2
5,000	5

Worked examples: mL in a liter

Example 1: a bottle label

A 750 mL bottle is 750 ÷ 1,000 = 0.75 L, so four such bottles hold 3 L. A 355 mL can is 0.355 L.

Example 2: liters to milliliters

A 2.5 L jug holds 2.5 × 1,000 = 2,500 mL. Poured into 250 mL glasses, that fills 2,500 ÷ 250 = 10 glasses.

Example 3: cubic meters

A 1 m³ tank is 100 cm × 100 cm × 100 cm = 1,000,000 cm³, which is 1,000,000 mL = 1,000 L. A 0.3 m³ tank holds 300 L.

How do liters and milliliters compare with US units?

Metric	US customary (approx.)
1 mL	0.0338 fluid ounces
1 L	33.814 fluid ounces
1 L	4.227 cups
1 L	1.057 quarts
3.785412 L	1 US gallon

These come from NIST's factors (1 US fluid ounce is 29.57353 mL, 1 cup is 236.5882 mL). Cups per liter are covered in how many cups in a liter, and spoon sizes in mL in how many ml in a teaspoon.

Quick ways to remember: mL in a liter

• Three decimal places: 0.5 L is 500 mL, 0.05 L is 50 mL.
• Kilo vs milli: a kilo is a thousand, a milli is a thousandth, so 1,000 mL make 1 L like 1,000 g make 1 kg.
• Cube it: a 10 cm cube holds one liter.

For prefixes in mass, see how many milligrams in a gram.

US vs UK gallons, quarts and pints

US and UK (imperial) volume units share names but not sizes, and US nutrition labels round the cup and fluid ounce. Both matter whenever a recipe, fuel figure or label crosses systems.

Why do the US and imperial gallons differ?

The US gallon is defined as 231 cubic inches: 231 × 2.54³ cm³ equals 3,785.41 mL. UK legislation (Weights and Measures Act 1985, Schedule 1) defines the imperial gallon directly in metric terms as exactly 4.54609 liters, which is 4.54609 ÷ 3.785412 = 1.2009 times the US gallon, about 20% larger. The imperial gallon is divided into 160 imperial fluid ounces of about 28.41 mL each, against 128 US fluid ounces of 29.57 mL: the imperial fluid ounce (see mL in an ounce) is smaller than the US one, although the imperial gallon holds more of them. In US cups, an imperial gallon is 4,546.09 ÷ 236.5882 = 19.2 cups.

A gallon in a British recipe or fuel figure is therefore not the same as a gallon on a US label, and converting with the wrong one is a 20% error. A recipe or fuel-economy figure in "gallons" needs its country checked.

Are UK quarts and pints bigger too?

Yes. Both gallons hold 4 quarts and 8 pints, but the units are different sizes. An imperial quart is 4.54609 ÷ 4 = 1.1365225 liters, or 40 imperial fluid ounces (40 × 28.41306 = 1,136.52 mL), about 20% more than the US quart. A UK recipe calling for a quart needs about 20% more liquid than a US one.

A UK (imperial) pint is 20 imperial fluid ounces. NIST lists the imperial fluid ounce as 28.41306 mL, so 20 × 28.41306 = 568.26 mL, which is one eighth of the exact imperial gallon of 4.54609 L. That makes the UK pint 568.26 ÷ 473.18 = 1.20 times a US pint, about 20% larger. Recipes from the UK usually give milliliters or imperial pints; using 2 US cups for a UK pint leaves a recipe about 95 mL short.

Three different quarts exist, so check which one a label means.

Quart	Liters	Compared with US liquid quart
US liquid quart	0.9463529	1.000
US dry quart	1.101221	1.164
UK (imperial) quart	1.13652	1.201

The US dry quart (NIST: 1.101221 L) is used for produce such as berries.

Does the 240 mL label cup change the counts?

No, only the milliliters. US nutrition labels define a cup as 240 mL and a fluid ounce as 30 mL (21 CFR 101.9(b)(5)(viii)), about 1.4% more than the true values:

• Pint: two label cups are 480 mL, which is 6.8 mL (1.4%) more than a true US pint of 473.18 mL.
• Quart: four label cups, or 32 label ounces, are 960 mL, which is 13.6 mL (1.4%) more than a true quart of 946.35 mL.
• Gallon: a gallon is 3,785.412 mL, so 3,785.412 ÷ 240 = 15.77 label cups, not 16. The gap is 54.6 mL, about 1.4%.

For cooking the counts stay 2 cups per pint, 4 per quart, 32 fl oz per quart and 16 cups per gallon; the label values only matter when working from nutrition label serving sizes. How many ml in a cup explains both cup values, and metric vs imperial lists other near-twin units.