Definition
Cubic centimetre
A cubic centimetre is the volume of a cube measuring 1 cm on every edge.
What it means
The small 3 means three length directions are multiplied: length × width × height. Use cubic centimetres for the volume of small solid objects.
Remember it
cm³ is a one-centimetre cube: length, width and height.
Example
A rectangular block is 3 cm by 2 cm by 4 cm. Its volume is 3 × 2 × 4 = 24 cm³.
Watch for
cm is length, cm² is area, and cm³ is volume.
Common mix-up
The 3 is part of the unit symbol; it does not mean multiply the measured volume by 3.
Exact meaning
A cubic centimetre, written cm³, is a unit of volume equal to the space inside a cube that is 1 cm long, 1 cm wide and 1 cm high. One cubic centimetre equals one millilitre.