Understanding Volume and Capacity
Volume measures the three-dimensional space an object occupies. For fluids, we often refer to this as capacity.
Kitchen and Baking Conversions
Baking is a science, and confusing volume units can ruin a recipe.
- US Cup (236.6 mL) vs Metric Cup (250 mL): Always check your recipe's origin!
- Tablespoon: 15 mL essentially everywhere except Australia, where it is 20 mL.
- Fluid Ounces: The US fluid ounce is slightly larger than the Imperial fluid ounce.
Beer, Wine, and Oil
- Oil Barrel: Exactly 42 US gallons or roughly 159 liters.
- Beer Barrel: In the US, it's 31.5 gallons (117 liters).
- Wine Casks: Traditional names like Firkin, Hogshead, Butt, and Tun denote specific large capacities of wine and ale.
East Asian Volume Units
- Gō (合): A traditional Japanese unit (~180 mL) universally used to measure rice and serve sake.
- Shō (升): Equal to 10 Gō (~1.8 Liters), the standard size for a large sake bottle.