Specific Volume Converter
Specific volume is the volume occupied per unit mass, the reciprocal of density, with the SI unit of cubic meters per kilogram (m3/kg). Water has a specific volume near 0.001 m3/kg (1 liter per kilogram). Steam tables and thermodynamics use this quantity heavily. This converter handles m3/kg, cm3/g, L/kg, and the customary cubic foot per pound, reducing each to m3/kg as a base with exact factors: 1 ft3 equals 0.028316846592 m3 and 1 lb equals 0.45359237 kg.
Specific volume conversion
Base value (m3/kg) = input * factor(from unit)
Output = base value / factor(to unit)
1 cm3/g = 1e-3 m3/kg
1 L/kg = 1e-3 m3/kg
1 ft3/lb = 0.028316846592 / 0.45359237 m3/kg
Specific volume is the reciprocal of density. The cm3/g, L/kg, and mL/g units are all numerically equal to 1e-3 m3/kg.
Specific volume context
- The SI unit of specific volume is the cubic meter per kilogram (m3/kg).
- Specific volume is the reciprocal of density (kg/m3).
- Liquid water is about 0.001 m3/kg, or 1 L/kg, near room temperature.
- cm3/g, mL/g, and L/kg are all numerically equal to 1e-3 m3/kg.
- The cubic foot per pound uses the exact foot (0.3048 m) and pound (0.45359237 kg).
Specific volume: frequently asked questions
What is specific volume?
Specific volume is the volume occupied by one unit of mass, the reciprocal of density. Its SI unit is cubic meters per kilogram (m3/kg). It appears throughout thermodynamics and steam-table work.
Why do cm3/g and L/kg give the same factor?
A cubic centimeter per gram is 1e-6 m3 over 1e-3 kg, which is 1e-3 m3/kg. A liter per kilogram is 1e-3 m3 over 1 kg, also 1e-3 m3/kg. Both equal one thousandth of the SI unit.
What is the specific volume of water?
Liquid water is about 0.001 m3/kg (1 L/kg) near 20 degrees Celsius, reflecting a density close to 1,000 kg/m3. It changes with temperature and pressure.
How is ft3/lb converted?
A cubic foot is 0.028316846592 m3 and a pound is 0.45359237 kg, so 1 ft3/lb equals 0.028316846592 divided by 0.45359237, about 0.0624 m3/kg.
How does specific volume relate to density?
They are reciprocals: specific volume equals one divided by density. A substance with density 1,000 kg/m3 has a specific volume of 0.001 m3/kg.
Official sources
- NIST Special Publication 811: Guide for the Use of the International System of Units.
- BIPM: SI Units.
Reviewed by the CalculatorHub team, edited by James Graham, 17 June 2026. See our methodology.