Cubic Inches to Cubic Feet Conversion

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by Anne Marie Helmenstine, Ph.D.
Dr. Helmenstine holds a Ph.D. in biomedical sciences and is a science writer, educator, and consultant. She has taught science courses at the high school, college, and graduate levels.
Updated August 26, 2018

Converting cubic inches to cubic feet is a common problem. Here is the conversion factor and a worked example.

Conversion Factor

1728 cubic inches = 1 cubic foot

0.000578704 cubic feet = 1 cubic inch

Simple Example

Convert 54.9 cubic inches into cubic feet. You can multiply by the conversion factor:

54.9 cubic inches x 0.000578704 cubic feet per cubic inch = 0.0318 cubic feet

or you could simply divide the value in cubic feet by 1728:

54.9 cubic inches / 1728 cubic feet per cubic inch = 0.0318 cubic feet

Worked Example

You measure a box and find it is 12 inches long, 5 inches high, and 3 inches deep. The volume of the box is length x width x height so the volume of the box is:

12 x 5 x 3 = volume in cubic inches

180 cubic inches

Now, to convert this to cubic feet, you know there are 1728 cubic inches in 1 cubic foot:

180 cubic inches x (1 cubic foot / 1728 cubic inches) = volume in cubic feet

180 cubic inches x 0.000578704 cubic feet/cubic inch = volume in cubic feet

0.1042 cubic feet