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cubic inch to cubic centimeter – How to convert in³ to cm³
The conversion from cubic inches to cubic centimeters connects the imperial system with the metric system. While cubic inches are common in the United States for product specifications and engine sizes, cubic centimeters dominate in science, medicine, and international trade. Knowing how to move between them ensures smooth communication across industries.
What is a cubic inch (in³)?
A cubic inch is the volume of a cube with each side measuring 1 inch. It equals about 16.387 cm³. This unit is still widely used in the US for automotive engines, product packaging, and some construction applications.
What is a cubic centimeter (cm³)?
A cubic centimeter is the volume of a cube with each side measuring 1 cm. It equals exactly 1 milliliter or 1⁄1000 liter. The unit is popular in medical dosing, science labs, and consumer products.
Conversion formula – cubic inch to cubic centimeter
The relationship between them is fixed and precise.
The basic equivalence is:1 in³ = 16.387 cm³
To convert cubic inches to cubic centimeters:1 cubic inch = cubic centimeter × 16.387
To convert cubic centimeters to cubic inches:1 cubic centimeter = cubic inch ÷ 16.387
Examples:
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5 in³ ≈ 81.94 cm³ -
100 cm³ ≈ 6.1 in³
For quick conversions across other units, the Volume Converter and Jetcalculator’s full set of Conversion Tools give reliable answers for both metric and imperial systems.
Do you know?
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Automotive legacy: Classic American cars used engine displacement in cubic inches — for example, the 427 in³ V8, which equals about 6997 cm³.
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Medical precision: In healthcare, cm³ is preferred, as every cubic centimeter corresponds to exactly 1 milliliter of liquid.
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Consumer packaging: US appliance manuals often list capacities in in³, while international models display the same figure in cm³.
From engines to everyday products
One of the clearest examples of this conversion is in automotive history. American engines were advertised with cubic inches for decades, while the global industry shifted toward cubic centimeters. A 350 in³ engine beloved by muscle car fans is the same as about 5735 cm³ in modern specifications.
This link also shows up in consumer goods. A storage box listed as 200 in³ on a US website becomes 3277 cm³ in European catalogs. Without the conversion, international buyers would struggle to compare products.
How a car engine and a perfume bottle speak the same unit
The formula 1 in³ = 16.387 cm³ shows up in surprising places. A 350 in³ muscle car engine from Detroit converts to about 5735 cm³, the same kind of unit doctors use to measure liquid medicine or that designers use to describe a 50 cm³ perfume bottle.
Very different worlds — cars, healthcare, luxury goods — but the same simple relationship ties them together. By recognizing that link, we see how measurements are more than just numbers on paper; they’re a shared language that lets industries, products, and people connect across borders.
