How to Convert Gallons to Liters

Step-by-Step Guide

1. 1

   Step 1: Decide which “gallon” measurement you’re using.

   One of the confusing things about what is called the English measurement system is that the units are not standard.
   
   The gallon is a good example.
   
   Through history, there have been such units as the dry gallon, wet gallon, ale gallon, wine gallon, corn gallon.
   
   Over time, these have been standardized, but there are still three common options.
   
   Before you can convert to liters, you need to know which gallon measure you are using.
   
   The three modern gallons are:
   Imperial (or U.K.) gallon.
   
   This is the unit commonly used in the U.K.
   
   It may be referred to as the Imperial gallon, British gallon, or U.K. gallon.
   
   U.S. liquid gallon.
   
   In the U.S., this is the more commonly used measurement.
   
   It is sometimes called the U.S. wet gallon.
   
   U.S. dry gallon.
   
   This is used for some specific purposes.
   
   For most measurements that just say “gallon” in the U.S., the wet gallon is probably the intention.
2. 2

   Step 2: Learn the conversion factors.

   To convert from gallons to liters, you can find the conversion factor in a textbook or online.
   
   The conversion factors for the three standard gallon measurements are as follows: 1 U.K. gallon =
   4.5461 liters1 U.S. liquid gallon =
   3.7854 liters1 U.S. dry gallon =
   4.4049 liters, Recall that any fraction in which the numerator and denominator are equal has an overall value of
   1.
   
   This is useful, because you can use the conversion fraction to change units without changing the value of the measurement.
   
   When you begin with gallons and want to convert to liters, you will use the following conversion factors:
   For U.K. gallons, use the fraction
   4.5461l1gal{\displaystyle {\frac {4.5461l}{1gal}}}For U.S. liquid gallons, use the fraction
   3.7854l1gal{\displaystyle {\frac {3.7854l}{1gal}}}For U.S. dry gallons, use the fraction
   4.4049l1gal{\displaystyle {\frac {4.4049l}{1gal}}}These are the fractions to convert from gallons to liters.
   
   If you want to perform the reverse operation and convert from liters to gallons, simply flip the fraction upside down. , If you have a number of gallons that you wish to convert to liters, you can use the conversion factor to set up a simple equation.
   
   As long as the conversion term is equal to 1, the value of the measurement will be the same.
   
   For example, suppose you have a measurement of 5 gallons (US liq.) that you want to convert to liters.
   
   Set it up as a multiplication problem, as follows: 5gal=5gal∗3.7854L1gal{\displaystyle 5gal=5gal*{\frac {3.7854L}{1gal}}} If you wish to convert 5 gallons (U.K.), set up the problem this way: 5gal=5gal∗4.5461L1gal{\displaystyle 5gal=5gal*{\frac {4.5461L}{1gal}}} , If you set up your conversion factor correctly, the final step should be a simple multiplication.
   
   You should see that you begin with the unit of gallons, and your conversion ratio has liters in the denominator.
   
   As with any fraction multiplication, something that appears both in the numerator and the denominator can cancel out of the equation.
   
   This will leave just the desired unit of liters in your answer.
   
   Finish the two examples above as follows: 5gal (US liq.)=5gal∗3.7854L1gal=18.927liters{\displaystyle 5{\text{gal (US liq.)}}=5gal*{\frac {3.7854L}{1gal}}=18.927liters} 5gal (UK)=5gal∗4.5461L1gal=22.7305liters{\displaystyle 5{\text{gal (UK)}}=5gal*{\frac {4.5461L}{1gal}}=22.7305liters}
3. 3

   Step 3: Write the conversion factor as a fraction.

4. 4

   Step 4: Set up your conversion equation.

5. 5

   Step 5: Perform the conversion.

Detailed Guide

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