Formula
Liters per minute = Cubic feet per minute × 28.316846592Direct answer
Multiply the entered cubic feet per minute value by 28.316846592 to express it in liters per minute (L/min). This converts cubic foot per minute (cfm) to liter per minute (L/min) within the documented flow rate family.
Variables and formula
- Cubic feet per minute (cfm): the source value measured in cubic foot per minute.
- Liters per minute (L/min): the same quantity expressed in liter per minute.
- Conversion factor: 28.316846592 liters per minute per cubic foot per minute.
Liters per minute = Cubic feet per minute × 28.316846592
The generator emits numeric factors with at most 15 significant digits. Calculator results keep up to 10 significant digits for display; this formatting does not increase the precision of the measurement.
Unit definitions and named variants
Source unit: cubic foot per minute (cfm). One cubic international foot per minute equals exactly 28.316846592 litres per minute. Named variant used: International-foot volume; actual volumetric flow unless another condition is explicitly stated. Reference: National Institute of Standards and Technology: NIST Guide to the SI, Appendix B.9: Factors for Units Listed by Kind of Quantity or Field of Science; National Institute of Standards and Technology: NIST Handbook 44 (2026), Appendix C: General Tables of Units of Measurement.
Target unit: liter per minute (L/min). A litre per minute is a volumetric flow of one litre during one minute. Named variant used: Volumetric flow; no standard-condition normalization. Reference: Bureau International des Poids et Mesures: The International System of Units (SI), 9th edition, version 4.01.
The cfm-to-L/min direction remains inside the flow rate quantity; it changes the unit label and numerical scale, not the kind of quantity being measured.
Relationship and precision
The named unit relationships are defined or exact, so the conversion is exact before display rounding and source-measurement uncertainty.
- cfm relationship: The terminating factor is exact because the international foot is exactly 0.3048 m and the litre is exactly 10^-3 m³.
- L/min relationship: The base factor is exactly 1 by the family base-unit choice.
To audit the factor through the family base unit, divide the raw dataset factors 28.316846592 by 1. The generator emits that quotient once at 15 significant digits as the canonical direct factor 28.316846592; runtime calculations do not divide the already-emitted base factors again.
Reproducible example
For 10 cubic feet per minute, 10 × 28.316846592 = 283.16846592 liters per minute. Repeating the same multiplication with the stated factor reproduces the displayed conversion before interface rounding.
Directional scale check
Because one cubic foot per minute contains 28.316846592 liters per minute, the target number is larger than the source number for every positive input. Zero maps to zero, while negative inputs are rejected because this family models non-negative magnitudes.
| Source amount | Calculation | Target amount |
|---|---|---|
| 1 cfm | 1 × 28.316846592 |
28.316846592 L/min |
| 10 cfm | 10 × 28.316846592 |
283.16846592 L/min |
| 100 cfm | 100 × 28.316846592 |
2831.6846592 L/min |
| 1000 cfm | 1000 × 28.316846592 |
28316.846592 L/min |
Interpretation
Read the result as liters per minute, not cubic feet per minute. A value entered as cfm leaves the calculator labelled L/min; this directional distinction matters even when the two units describe the same flow rate quantity.
Assumptions and limitations
- Only non-negative flow magnitudes are accepted; direction is outside this family.
- Gas flows quoted at standard or actual conditions require temperature and pressure normalization that this unit-only converter does not perform.
- A conversion does not add significant figures to the source measurement.
Common mistakes
- Do not use a legacy survey-foot volume.
- L/min is volume per time, not litres of total volume.
Continue within the Flow Rate family
See the Flow Rate conversion hub for its five-unit reference table and all 20 directed routes.
- Reverse the direction: Liters per minute to Cubic feet per minute
- Compare another flow rate route: Cubic feet per minute to Liters per second
- Compare another flow rate route: Cubic feet per minute to Cubic meters per hour
- Compare another flow rate route: Cubic feet per minute to US gallons per minute
- Compare another flow rate route: Liters per minute to Liters per second
Assumptions
- The entered value uses cubic feet per minute exactly as labelled.
- Only non-negative flow magnitudes are accepted; direction is outside this family.
- Rounding and measurement uncertainty remain the user's responsibility.
Sources and methodology
CalcMotive publishes the formula and assumptions so you can decide whether the estimate fits your use case. See our methodology standards.
- The International System of Units (SI), 9th edition, version 4.01; Bureau International des Poids et Mesures; accessed Aug 7, 2026
- NIST Guide to the SI, Appendix B.9: Factors for Units Listed by Kind of Quantity or Field of Science; National Institute of Standards and Technology; accessed Aug 7, 2026
- NIST Handbook 44 (2026), Appendix C: General Tables of Units of Measurement; National Institute of Standards and Technology; accessed Aug 7, 2026