A worked conversion, ready to change
Liters per second to cubic meters per hour
A liter-per-second rate uses a small volume and a short time interval. Cubic meters per hour uses a larger volume and a longer interval. Converting both gives a compact factor of 3.6.
The conversion
m³/hour = liters/second × 3,600 ÷ 1,000 = liters/second × 3.6
Open this worked example ↗Free · No account · Change the input and see every step
Why the factor works
An hour has 3,600 seconds and a cubic meter contains 1,000 liters. At 5 liters/second, the equivalent flow is 18,000 liters/hour, or 18 cubic meters/hour. The seconds cancel before converting liters to cubic meters.
Conversion table
Values below use unrounded factors and display up to ten significant digits.
| liters/second | cubic meters/hour |
|---|---|
| 0.1 | 0.36 |
| 0.5 | 1.8 |
| 1 | 3.6 |
| 2 | 7.2 |
| 5 | 18 |
| 10 | 36 |
| 20 | 72 |
Reverse the conversion
To convert cubic meters/hour back to liters/second, divide by 3.6. For example, 36 cubic meters/hour is 10 liters/second. For volume over a duration, multiply the rate by that duration in matching units: 5 liters/second for 120 seconds gives 600 liters.
Common unit mistakes
Liters per minute and liters per second are different rates. Check the denominator before using 3.6. This conversion applies to volumetric flow; it does not convert mass flow such as kilograms/hour without additional information.
Use your own number
- Open the matching calculator example.
- Replace First value with your number.
- Select Show worked calculation to see the updated result.
- To reverse it, choose the starting unit and the desired answer unit.
Definitions and limits
US liquid gallon = 231 cubic inches = 3.785411784 liters. One cubic foot = 1,728 cubic inches. One cubic meter = 1,000 liters. Time conversions use fixed durations. See NIST’s conversion factors and our factors and rounding guide.
These are educational arithmetic examples. A rate is constant or an average over the stated interval. This tool does not supply operational decisions, dosing instructions or exam certification.
More worked conversions
Metric flow and volume examples · All calculator modes and sixteen drills