Volume conversion is essential in cooking, baking, and chemistry. The challenge is that the US, UK, and metric systems all define gallons differently.
Metric Volume: Liters and Milliliters
The liter is the base metric volume unit. 1 L = 1,000 mL = 1 dm³. A mL equals one cm³. The metric system is consistent: 1 liter of water has a mass of exactly 1 kg at 4°C.
US vs Imperial Gallons
The US gallon is 3.785 L, while the Imperial (UK) gallon is 4.546 L — about 20% larger. Always check which system is being used. US hierarchy: 1 gallon = 4 quarts = 8 pints = 16 cups = 128 fl oz.
Cooking Measurements
1 cup = 236.6 mL (US), 1 tablespoon = 14.8 mL, 1 teaspoon = 4.93 mL. Australian tablespoons are 20 mL. For baking precision, professional bakers prefer weighing in grams rather than measuring volume.
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