Cubic meters to cubic feet (m³ to ft³) converter

What is a cubic meters to cubic feet converter?

A cubic meters to cubic feet converter is an online tool that translates a volume given in cubic meters into its equivalent in cubic feet, and back again. It connects the metric system, where volume is built from the meter (m³), with the imperial and US customary systems, where volume is built from the foot (ft³). This is handy whenever a figure expressed in one system needs to be understood, compared, or documented in the other.

Metric and imperial cubic units

The cubic meter (m³) is the SI unit of volume: a cube measuring one meter on each side. The cubic foot (ft³) is the imperial and US customary equivalent: a cube measuring one foot on each side. Because one meter is roughly 3.28 feet, a cubic meter holds a meter cubed worth of cubic feet — about 35.31 of them. The relationship is fixed and exact, so the same factor applies to every value regardless of size.

How does the converter work?

Enter a value on either side of the converter and the matching value appears instantly on the other side. Type a number in the cubic meters field to see the result in cubic feet, or type in the cubic feet field to see the result in cubic meters. The tool also offers related sub-units (such as cm³, liters, in³, and yd³) so you can mix and match the exact units you are working with.

Formula for conversion

To convert between cubic meters and cubic feet, use the following formulas:

For cubic meters to cubic feet: $\text{ft}^3 = \text{m}^3 \times 35.3147$

For cubic feet to cubic meters: $\text{m}^3 = \text{ft}^3 \times 0.0283168$

The two factors are reciprocals of one another, since $\frac{1}{35.3147} \approx 0.0283168$.

Conversion table

The table below shows common cubic meter volumes and their cubic foot equivalents, along with the reverse direction:

Examples

Example 1: 1 cubic meter to cubic feet

Multiply the volume in cubic meters by 35.3147:

$1 \text{ m}^3 \times 35.3147 = 35.3147 \text{ ft}^3$

Example 2: 1 cubic foot to cubic meters

Multiply the volume in cubic feet by 0.0283168:

$1 \text{ ft}^3 \times 0.0283168 = 0.0283168 \text{ m}^3$

Example 3: 2 cubic meters to cubic feet

$2 \text{ m}^3 \times 35.3147 = 70.6293 \text{ ft}^3$

Example 4: 100 cubic meters to cubic feet

For a larger volume — say the capacity of a small storage tank — multiply by the same factor:

$100 \text{ m}^3 \times 35.3147 = 3531.47 \text{ ft}^3$

Notes

• The conversion between cubic meters and cubic feet is exact and independent of what is being measured — water, gravel, air, or gas all use the same factor.
• The cubic meter to cubic foot factor (35.3147) and the reverse factor (0.0283168) are reciprocals, so rounding may cause tiny differences when chaining conversions.
• A cubic meter is the cube of the meter-to-foot ratio: about $3.28084^3 \approx 35.3147$.
• Keep a consistent unit throughout a calculation to avoid mixing metric and imperial figures by mistake.

Frequently asked questions

How many cubic feet are in 1 cubic meter?

There are about 35.3147 cubic feet in one cubic meter. Multiply any cubic meter value by 35.3147 to get cubic feet.

How many cubic meters are in 1 cubic foot?

One cubic foot equals about 0.0283168 cubic meters. Multiply any cubic foot value by 0.0283168 to get cubic meters.

How do I convert 2 cubic meters to cubic feet?

Multiply 2 by 35.3147, which gives 70.6293 cubic feet.

Why is the conversion factor 35.3147 and not 3.28?

3.28084 is how many feet are in a meter (a length). Volume scales with the cube of length, so the cubic factor is 3.28084 raised to the third power, which is about 35.3147.

Can the converter handle very large or very small values?

Yes. The same factor applies to every value, so the converter works equally well for fractions of a cubic meter and for thousands of them. For other volume units you can also use our volume converter.

Is the cubic meter to cubic foot conversion exact?

The underlying relationship (1 foot = 0.3048 meters) is exact by definition, so the conversion is exact. The decimal factors 35.3147 and 0.0283168 are rounded approximations of that exact ratio.