What is the geometric definition of a litre?
A cube measuring 10 centimetres on each side holds exactly one litre of space. This geometric definition anchors the modern understanding of volume in the metric system.
Questions about Litre
Short answers, pulled from the story.
When did France introduce the term litre?
France introduced the term litre in 1795 as part of its new republican units of measurement. The International Bureau of Weights and Measures accepts this unit for use with SI standards despite it not being an official base unit itself.
Why was the uppercase L symbol adopted for the litre?
The International Committee for Weights and Measures addressed ambiguity between the lowercase letter l and the digit 1 by adopting an uppercase L as an alternative symbol in 1979. The United States National Institute of Standards and Technology now recommends using the uppercase L exclusively.
How many litres are in an imperial gallon?
An imperial gallon contains exactly 4.54609 litres whereas a US gallon holds 3.785411784 litres. A cubic foot occupies precisely 28.316846592 litres of space.
What is the relationship between a cubic metre and a litre?
One cubic decimetre equals 1,000 cubic centimetres and represents 0.001 cubic metres. A cubic metre contains precisely 1,000 litres.