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Ten Things You Maybe Didn't Know About the Cubic Foot

1. A Cubic Foot is a cube that's one foot on each side

Pretty straightforward: imagine a box that's 12 inches tall, 12 inches wide, and 12 inches deep. That’s one cubic foot. It's a simple way to measure volume—especially in three-dimensional space.

2. It's mostly used in the U.S. and a few other places

Since the cubic foot is part of the imperial system, it's most commonly used in the United States, and sometimes in the UK and Canada. Metric countries usually stick to cubic meters or liters.

3. One Cubic Foot is equal to about 7.48 gallons

To give it some context, if you had a cubic foot-sized box, it could hold a little under 7.5 gallons of water. That’s more than you might expect from just "a foot."

4. It’s a big deal in construction and HVAC

Whether it's measuring how much concrete to pour or how much air flows through a ventilation system, the cubic foot is a go-to unit for engineers, contractors, and HVAC specialists.

5. Cubic Feet are often used for shipping and storage

Shipping companies love this unit. They often charge by volume, and when you’re dealing with boxes or containers, cubic feet give a quick idea of how much stuff you’re actually moving.

6. One Cubic Foot holds over 28 liters

Specifically, it holds about 28.3168 liters. That’s a decent amount of space—enough for about 37 bottles of water (at 750 ml each), which is a fun way to picture it.

7. It helps determine airflow in homes and vehicles

The term CFM, or Cubic Feet per Minute, is how we measure airflow in HVAC systems, car engines, and even in some power tools. So if your AC is working well, you probably have cubic feet to thank.

8. Storage units and refrigerators use it as a standard measure

When shopping for a fridge or freezer, you'll see capacity listed in cubic feet. A standard fridge is around 18 to 25 cubic feet—enough to store a solid week's worth of groceries.

9. It's used in natural gas billing

Utility companies often bill you based on how many cubic feet of natural gas you consume. So when you're heating your home, those cubic feet start adding up!

10. There’s even a standard abbreviation: cu ft or ft³

You’ll often see cubic feet written as “cu ft,” “cu. ft.,” or “ft³.” All of them mean the same thing—just pick your favorite way to say “I know how much space this takes up.”