Kubikdezimeter

Kubikdezimeter, abbreviated dm^3, is a unit of volume in the metric system. It is defined as the volume of a cube with edges of one decimeter (0.1 meters). Therefore, 1 dm^3 equals 0.001 cubic meters and 1000 cubic centimeters, and it is equal to 1 liter by the standard connection between the decimeter and the liter.

The standard symbol is dm^3. In German, the term Kubikdezimeter is common; in English, cubic decimeter is used only in technical contexts. By convention, the liter, denoted L or l, corresponds to 1 dm^3.

It is commonly used for measuring liquids and everyday volumes, such as beverages or containers. In science and engineering, the cubic meter is the SI base unit for volume, but dm^3 and liters remain convenient for practical quantities.

Relationships between units are straightforward: 1 dm^3 = 0.001 m^3; 1 m^3 = 1000 dm^3; and 1 dm^3 = 1000 cm^3.

The concept originated with the metric system in the 18th and 19th centuries. The liter was defined as the volume of one cubic decimeter, and the dm^3 has remained a commonly used unit in many contexts, especially for liquid volumes.