Cubic units
You learn to convert cubic units, like m³ to dm³, where each step is times 1,000.
How to work it out
- 1 m³ is 10 × 10 × 10 = 1,000 dm³.
- Moving down, multiply by 1,000 per step.
- Moving up, divide by 1,000.
A worked example
3 m³ = ? dm³
- From m³ to dm³ is 1 step down.
- Multiply by 1,000: 3 × 1,000 = 3,000.
- It is 3,000 dm³.
More examples
5,000 cm³ = ? dm³
- From cm³ to dm³ is 1 step up.
- Divide by 1,000: 5,000 ÷ 1,000 = 5.
- It is 5 dm³, and that is 5 litres.
4 m³ = ? cm³
- From m³ to cm³ is 2 steps down.
- Multiply by 1,000 for each step: 4 × 1,000 × 1,000 = 4,000,000.
- It is 4,000,000 cm³.
Try it yourself
From cubic decimetre to cubic metre
7000 dm³ = ? m³
From cubic metre to cubic centimetre
4 m³ = ? cm³
Watch out
You multiply by 10 or by 100: 3 m³ becomes 300 dm³.
If there is a ³ next to the unit, each step is times 1,000.
You think an m³ is 1 litre.
A dm³ is 1 litre. An m³ is 1,000 dm³, so 1,000 litres: as big as a large crate.
Tips
- A dm³ is exactly 1 litre and a cm³ is exactly 1 ml.
Why it works
A cubic metre is a cube 10 dm long, 10 dm wide and 10 dm high. 10 × 10 × 10 = 1,000 cubes of 1 dm³ fit inside it. A dm³ is also exactly 1 litre, and a cm³ is 1 ml.