The cubic foot is a well-known unit in mathematics that is used to evaluate the volume in cubic feet. It follows the Imperial system of measurement and frequently used unit in the United States and other countries.
The cubic foot is a popular unit of measurement for a wide range of objects, including rooms, shipping containers, and water tanks. In this article, we’ll cover the basics of the cubic foot along with calculations.
Table of Contents
Definition of Cubic Foot:
A cubic foot represents the volume of cubical space measured in feet. The volume of a cube is the same as that of one foot along with its width, height, and length. A cubic foot measurement of an object may be needed in shipping, freight, or landscaping projects.
It is often abbreviated as “ft³” or “cu ft”. Cubic feet are commonly used to measure the volume of objects that have a 3-D shape, such as boxes, refrigerators, and shipping containers. The general expression of cubic feet is:
Cubic feet = length (ft) x width (ft) x height (ft)
Applications of Cubic Feet
Here are some applications or uses of cubic feet
| Applications | Explanation |
| Calculation of Volume in Cubic Feet | You have to multiply the length, height, and width in feet of an object to evaluate its volume in feet. For example, if a room is 20 feet long, 15 feet wide, and 10 feet high, then its volume in cubic feet will be: cubic feet = 20 ft x 15 ft x 10 ft cubic feet = 3000 ft3 |
| The capacity of Appliances: | Cubic feet are often used to express the capacity of appliances such as refrigerators, freezers, and air conditioners. For example, a freezer with a capacity of 15 cubic feet (cu ft.) can hold 15 cubic feet of food, fruits, and drinks. |
| Measurement of Material: | Cubic feet can also be used to measure the amount of material in a box, room, or container. For example, a cubic foot of water weighs approximately 62.4 pounds. Similarly, a cubic foot of soil, sand, or gravel has a specific weight that can be calculated based on its density. |
How to Calculate Cubic Feet?
In this section, we’ll explain how to calculate cubic feet. Calculating cubic feet is not a difficult task. You have to take the length, width, and height of an object in feet and find the product of all the measurements to get the volume in cubic feet of any cuboid shape object.
Here are a few examples of cubic.
Example 1:
Calculate the volume of a cuboid box in cubic feet have 8 feet in length, 12 feet in width, and 6 feet in height.
Solution:
Step 1: Firstly, take the measurements of the cuboid box.
Length of cuboid box = 8 feet
Width of cuboid box = 12 feet
Height of cuboid box = 6 feet
Step 2: Now take the formula of cubic feet to measure volume.
Cubic feet = length (ft) x width (ft) x height (ft)
Step 3: Now, put the length, width, and height of a cuboid box to the above formula and multiply them,
Cubic feet = L x W x H
Cubic feet = 8 ft x 12 ft x 6 ft
Cubic feet = 8 x 12 x 6 ft3
Cubic feet = 576 ft3
Example 2:
Calculate the volume of a container in cubic feet have 60 feet in length, 20 feet in width, and 15 feet in height.
Solution:
Step 1: Firstly, take the measurements of the container.
Length of container = 60 feet
Width of container = 20 feet
Height of container = 15 feet
Step 2: Now take the formula of cubic feet to measure volume.
Cubic feet = length (ft) x width (ft) x height (ft)
Step 3: Now, put the length, width, and height of a container to the above formula and multiply them,
Cubic feet = L x W x H
Cubic feet = 60 ft x 20 ft x 15 ft
Cubic feet = 60 x 20 x 15 ft3
Cubic feet = 18000 ft3
Conversions of different units to cubic feet
There are various units of measurement that are converted into cubic feet to measure the volume in feet. Here is a few conversions table.
| Different units | Cubic feet |
| 1 inch | 1/12 feet |
| 1 yard | 3 feet |
| 1 meter | 3.28 feet |
| 1 US gallon | 1/7.48 feet |
| 1 liter | 1/28.31 feet |
| 1 cm | 1/30.48 feet |
| 1 imperial gallon | 1/6.23 feet |
You have to multiply the other unit value by the feet value to convert other units to feet. Now we’ll discuss some of the above conversions with the help of examples.
How to calculate cubic feet from yards?
The volume of the object in yards can be converted to cubic feet by multiplying the result in yards by 27. Alternatively, you can convert the length, width, and height from yards to feet by multiplying 3 because 1 yard is equivalent to 3 feet.
Here is an example to understand it.
Example:
Calculate the volume of a container if the length is 30 yards, the width is 16 yards, and the height is 8 yards.
Solution:
Step 1: Calculate the volume of a container in yards by multiplying the measurements.
The volume of a container = length x width x height
Volume of a container = 30 yd x 16 yd x 8 yd
Volume of a container = 3840 yd3
Step 2: Multiply the Volume of a container in yards by 27 to convert it into cubic feet.
= 3840 x 27 ft3
= 103680 ft3
Alternately
You can also convert the measurements into feet and then evaluate the volume in cubic feet.
Step 1: Convert the given measurements into feet.
As we know that 1 yd = 3 ft
Length of a container = 30 yd = 30 x 3 = 90 ft
Width of a container = 16 yd = 16 x 3 = 48 ft
Height of a container = 8 yd = 8 x 3 = 24 ft
Step 2: Now take the product of measurements of the container in feet.
Volume of a container = 90 ft x 48 ft x 24 ft
= 103680 ft3
How to measure cubic feet from inches?
The volume of the object in yards can be converted to cubic feet by dividing the result in inches by 1728. Alternatively, you can convert the length, width, and height from inches to feet by dividing by 12 because 1 inch is equivalent to 1/12 feet.
Here is an example to understand it.
Example:
Calculate the volume of a cylinder if its length is 10 inches, the width is 20 inches, and the height is 30 inches.
Solution:
Step 1: Calculate the volume of a cylinder in inches by multiplying the measurements.
The volume of a cylinder = length x width x height
Volume of a cylinder = 10 in x 20 in x 30 in
= 6000 in3
Step 2: Now divide the Volume of a cylinder in inches by 1728 to convert it into feet.
= 6000 / 1728 ft3
= 3.47 ft3
Alternately
You can also convert the measurements into feet and then evaluate the volume in cubic feet.
Step 1: Convert the given measurements into feet.
As we know that 1 inch = 1/12 feet
Length of a cylinder = 10 in = 10 / 12 ft = 0.83 ft
Width of a cylinder = 20 in = 20 / 12 ft = 1.67 ft
Height of a cylinder = 30 in = 30 / 12 ft = 2.5 ft
Step 2: Now multiply the measurements in feet.
Height of a cylinder = 0.83 ft x 1.67 ft x 2.5 ft
= 3.47 ft3
How to measure cubic feet from meters?
The volume of the object in meters can be converted to cubic feet by multiplying the result in yards by 35.31. Alternatively, you can convert the length, width, and height from meters to feet by multiplying by 3.28 because 1 meter is equivalent to 3.28 feet.
Here is an example to understand it.
Example:
Calculate the capacity of a led box if the length is 1.5 meters, the width is 0.5 meters, and the height is 2 meters.
Solution:
Step 1: Calculate the volume of a led box in meters by multiplying the measurements.
The volume of the led box = length x width x height
Volume of led box = 1.5 m x 0.5 m x 2 m
Volume of led box = 1.5 m3
Step 2: Multiply the Volume of the led box by 35.31 to convert it into feet.
= 1.5 x 35.31 ft3
= 52.97 ft3
Alternately
You can also convert the measurements into feet and then evaluate the volume in cubic feet.
Step 1: Convert the given measurements into feet.
As we know that 1 meter = 3.28 feet
Length of led box = 1.5m = 1.5 x 3.28 ft = 4.92 ft
Width of led box = 0.5m = 0.5 x 3.28 ft = 1.64 ft
Height of led box = 2m = 2 x 3.28 ft = 6.56 ft
Step 2: Now multiply the measurements in feet.
Height of led box = 4.92 ft x 1.64 ft x 6.56 ft
Height of led box = 52.97 ft3
Conclusion
Now you can grab all the basics of cubic feet from this post. As we have discussed the definition, formula, applications, and conversions of different units to feet with the help of solved examples.