How to Convert Cubic Feet to Metric Feet

A cubic foot is a unit of measuring volume that quantifies the product of the width, length, and depth of an object or space. Conversely, a metric foot is a literary term that refers to a rhythm of accented and unaccented syllables in one line of a piece of rhyming poetry. An obsolete definition of "metric foot" refers to a 30-centimeter "foot" in the United Kingdom, which is shorter than the standard Imperial foot and has no exact proportion to a meter. Converting a volume in cubic feet to one in this widely unused unit is easiest with a conversion chart.

Instructions

1

Determine the volume in cubic inches of the object you wish to measure. Measure the length, width, and height in inches. For example, if measuring a box, you would lay the ruler along the edge of the short side of the box near the opening for the width, along the long side near the opening for the length, and then flip the ruler vertically and measure the distance from the bottom of the box to the top.

2

Multiply the length times the width times the depth to get the volume in cubic inches. Jot this number down as you may need it again when you are converting your measurement to "metric feet." Convert the cubic inches to cubic feet by dividing your result by 1,728, the number of inches in a cubic foot, and jot that answer down. To represent a cubic measurement, write a little number 3, called a superscript, next to the unit of measurement (feet or inches) slightly above the top of the last letter in the measurement and to the right.

3

Determine the factor for converting cubic inches to cubic centimeters. Because a "metric foot" is only 30 centimeters and an standard foot equals 30.48 centimeters, a straight conversion of cubic feet to metric feet does not obtain an exact result. Instead, convert your measurement from cubic inches to cubic centimeters, using a conversion chart. One cubic inch is equivalent to 16.378 cubic centimeters.

4

Convert your cubic inches to cubic centimeters by multiplying your original result in inches by 16.378 to obtain the equivalent number of cubic centimeters in your measurement.

5

Convert a "metric foot" to a cubic metric foot by multiplying the number of centimeters in a metric foot by itself three times. In other words, multiply 30 cm x 30 cm x 30 cm to obtain a result of 27,000 cubic centimeters.

6

Divide your result in step 4 (the number of cubic centimeters) by the number of cubic centimeters in a cubic "metric foot" (or 27,000). Because a metric foot is not considered an actual unit of measurement, there is no commonly accepted way to abbreviate the measurement; so, write your numerical result followed by the phrase "metric feet," followed by a superscript 3, slightly above and to the right of the "t" in feet.