litre

Everyday

1. A litre is a unit for measuring liquids and the space inside things (volume). tree →
2. A litre has 1000 millilitres. tree →
3. A litre is also an amount of something that fills that much: a litre of milk. tree →

In the lessons

In maths it is a unit of volume for liquids; 1 litre = 1000 millilitres; often a price or a rate per litre, for milk, juice or petrol. In science we measure litres with a measuring jug or cylinder. In everyday life: a big bottle of water often holds 1 litre; cars use litres of fuel in most countries (gallons in the USA).

Examples

• The tank holds 40 litres. tree →
• Milk costs 1 dollar a litre. tree →
• She drinks 2 litres of water a day. tree →
• How many millilitres in 3 litres? tree →
• A litre has 1000 millilitres. tree →
• This jug holds half a litre of juice. tree →
• The bath held about 150 litres of water. tree →
• Petrol costs more per litre this year. tree →
• Measure the water in litres with a measuring jug. tree →

Note

Short form: L or l (2 L). Spelling: «litre» in the UK, Canada, Australia, NZ, Ireland; «liter» in the USA. A litre of water weighs about 1 kilogram. A litre has 1000 millilitres. Maths: «per litre» is a rate. Trap: change ml to litres (÷ 1000) or litres to ml (× 1000) before adding.