Cubic metres
Measuring larger volumes
Occasionally, we may need to measure the volumes of some rather large three-dimensional spaces. The amount of earth that would need to be removed for the building of a swimming pool would be one such quantity. Cubic centimetres would be inadequate in this situation. The cubic metre unit is more useful for measuring the volume of larger, three-dimensional spaces.
Cubic metres
The cubic metre is a unit of volume measurement. Its symbol is m3, the '3' indicating that three dimensions (length, width and depth) are involved. One cubic metre is the volume of a cube with the length of 1 metre.
Example:
The capacity of a cubic metre is 1 000 litres or 1 kilolitre (kL).
Some cubic metre comparisons
Objects that are less than 1 m3: cardboard grocery box, household fish tank, small book shelf.
Objects that are about 1 m3: stove, washing machine, office filing cabinet.
Objects that are greater than 1 m3: bathroom shower recess, car interior, water tank.
