Convert Liters to Gallons

Liter

Definition: A liter (symbol: L or l) is a metric unit of volume. It is defined as 1 cubic decimeter (dm³), which is equal to 1000 cubic centimeters (cm³) or 0.001 cubic meters (m³).

History/origin: The liter was introduced in France in 1795 as one of the new "republican units of measurement" defined by the French Academy of Sciences. The original definition was based on the volume of a kilogram of pure water at the temperature of melting ice (0°C). The word "liter" comes from the old French unit "litron," which was derived from Greek and Latin measures.

The spelling "liter" is predominantly used in American English, while "litre" is preferred in most other English-speaking countries. In 1964, the General Conference on Weights and Measures (CGPM) reintroduced the liter as a special name for the cubic decimeter, making it officially a non-SI unit accepted for use with the SI.

Current use: The liter is widely used worldwide for measuring liquids in everyday life. It's commonly used for beverages, fuel, household products, and many other applications. Smaller volumes are measured in milliliters (mL), with 1,000 milliliters equaling 1 liter. Larger volumes might be expressed in kiloliters (kL), with 1 kiloliter equaling 1,000 liters.

Gallon

Definition: A gallon (symbol: gal) is a unit of volume in imperial and US customary measurement systems. The US liquid gallon is defined as 231 cubic inches (3.785 liters), while the imperial gallon used in the UK and some Commonwealth countries is defined as 4.54609 liters.

History/origin: The gallon originated as an English unit of measurement for wine and beer. Various gallons were used throughout Europe with varying sizes. The word "gallon" comes from the Old Northern French word "galon," meaning a liquid measure.

In 1824, the British adopted the imperial gallon, defined as the volume of 10 pounds of water at 62°F. The United States continued to use the pre-1824 British wine gallon (the Queen Anne's gallon of 231 cubic inches). This difference in definition leads to the distinction between the US gallon and the imperial gallon that persists today.

Current use: The US gallon is primarily used in the United States and some Latin American and Caribbean countries. It's commonly used for measuring gasoline, milk, and other liquids. The imperial gallon is still used in the United Kingdom for some purposes (though the UK has officially adopted the liter for most applications), as well as in some Commonwealth countries.

Smaller divisions of the gallon include quarts (4 per gallon), pints (8 per gallon), and fluid ounces (128 per US gallon, 160 per imperial gallon).