Ruqayyah Snyder
The definition of a gallon differs around the world. In the US, a gallon is equal to 3.785 litres, whereas in Australia, a gallon is equal to 4.546 litres. This means that an Australian gallon is about 20% larger than an American gallon. This can be a tricky difference to navigate when travelling or doing business between the two countries, so it's important to be clear on which type of gallon is being used and the relevant conversion factor.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of litres in an Australian gallon | 4.546 litres |
| Number of litres in a US gallon | 3.785 litres |
| Percentage difference between US and Australian gallons | 20% |
| Countries that use the imperial gallon | UK, Ireland, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, some Caribbean countries |
| Countries that use the US gallon | US, some Latin American and Caribbean countries |
| Definition of a litre | Unit of volume accepted for use with the International System of Units (SI) but is technically not an SI unit |
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What You'll Learn
Imperial gallon vs US gallon
In Australia, the imperial gallon, which is approximately 4.546 litres, is used. This is different from the US gallon, which is approximately 3.785 litres.
The imperial gallon, or the British imperial gallon, is defined as exactly 4.54609 litres. It is used in the United Kingdom and its former colonies, including Ireland, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, India, South Africa, Malaysia, and some Caribbean countries. The imperial gallon contains 160 imperial fluid ounces, with four imperial quarts in a gallon and two imperial pints in a quart.
On the other hand, the US gallon is legally defined as exactly 231 cubic inches, or 3.785411784 litres. It is used in the United States and some Latin American and Caribbean countries. A US gallon contains 128 US fluid ounces, with four quarts in a gallon and two pints in a quart.
The imperial gallon is about 20% larger than the US gallon, with 1.20095042 US gallons in an imperial gallon and 0.83267384 imperial gallons in a US gallon.
Historical Usage of the Gallon
Historically, the gallon has had many definitions and redefinitions. The gallon was used as a unit of trade, but due to the effects of expansion and contraction with temperature, it became common to define the temperature at which a material would occupy the specified volume. For example, the volume of petroleum products and alcoholic beverages is referenced at 60 °F (15.6 °C).
Over time, many countries have switched from using the gallon to the litre as a primary unit of measure. In 2010, the United Arab Emirates ceased selling petrol by the imperial gallon, with Guyana following in 2013 and Myanmar in 2014. In the European Union, the gallon was removed from the list of legally defined primary units of measure in 1994, and Ireland and the United Kingdom passed legislation to replace the gallon with the litre soon after.
Today, the imperial gallon continues to be used as the standard petrol unit in some Caribbean island groups, and miles per imperial gallon is used as the primary fuel economy unit in the United Kingdom and as a supplementary unit in Canada.
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Australian gallon conversion
The concept of a gallon can differ depending on the region. A gallon is a unit of measurement for volume that is used primarily in the United States and a few other countries. It is defined as the volume of a cube that is 8 inches on each side, which is equal to about 3.785 litres.
In the US, a gallon is equal to 3.785 litres, whereas in Australia, a gallon is equal to 4.546 litres. This means that an Australian gallon is about 20% larger than an American gallon. This difference can be tricky when travelling or doing business between the two countries, so it's important to be clear on which type of gallon is being used.
The imperial gallon, defined as 4.54609 litres, is used in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and some Caribbean countries. The US gallon, defined as 3.785411784 litres (or 231 cubic inches), is used in the US and some Latin American and Caribbean countries.
To convert litres to Australian gallons, use the conversion factor of 4.54609 litres. Simply divide the number of litres by 4.54609. For instance, 20 litres of water would be approximately 4.398 Australian gallons when converted: 20 ÷ 4.54609 = 4.398.
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US gallon conversion
A US gallon is a unit of volume in the US Customary Units system. It is defined as 231 cubic inches, or about 3.785 litres. One US liquid gallon is often used for larger containers, such as half-gallon tubs of ice cream or one-gallon cartons of milk. It is also used to measure fuel—a car's gas tank can hold between 12 and 20 gallons of gas.
The US gallon is different from the imperial gallon, which is used in the UK, Canada, and some Caribbean nations. The imperial gallon is defined as 4.54609 litres. There are 1.20095042 US gallons in an imperial gallon, or, to put it differently, there are 0.83267384 imperial gallons in a US gallon.
To convert between US gallons and imperial gallons, you can use the following formula: US gal x 0.83267384 = imperial gal. So, for example, 250 US gallons x 0.83267384 = 208.16846 imperial gallons.
The US gallon contains 128 US fluid ounces, whereas the imperial gallon contains 160 imperial fluid ounces. This means that a US fluid ounce is 1/128 of a US gallon, while an imperial fluid ounce is 1/160 of an imperial gallon.
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Litres definition
In Australia, a gallon is defined as 4.54609 litres.
The litre (or liter, in American English) is a metric unit of volume. It is equal to 1 cubic decimetre (dm3), 1,000 cubic centimetres (cm3) or 0.001 cubic metres (m3). A litre is equal in volume to the millistere, an obsolete non-SI metric unit formerly used for dry measure.
The litre was introduced in France in 1795 as one of the new "republican units of measurement" and was defined as one cubic decimetre. One litre of liquid water has a mass of almost exactly one kilogram, due to the gram being defined in 1795 as one cubic centimetre of water at the temperature of melting ice.
In 1879, the CIPM adopted the definition of the litre, with the symbol l (lowercase letter L). In 1901, the litre was redefined as the space occupied by 1 kg of pure water at the temperature of its maximum density (3.98 °C) under a pressure of 1 atm. This made the litre equal to about 1.000028 dm3.
In 1964, the original definition was reverted to, and the litre was once again defined in exact relation to the metre, as another name for the cubic decimetre, that is, exactly 1 dm3. The litre is not an SI unit, but it is accepted by the CGPM for use with the SI.
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Gallon definition
A gallon is a unit of measurement for volume, specifically for liquid capacity. It is used to measure large amounts of liquids.
The gallon currently has two main definitions: the imperial system gallon and the US customary system gallon. The British imperial gallon, also known simply as the "gallon", is defined as exactly 4.54609 litres. It is used in Britain and some other Commonwealth countries, including Australia. The US gallon, also frequently called just "gallon", is defined as 3.785411784 litres, or 231 cubic inches.
Historically, there were many definitions and variations of the gallon, including the corn gallon, the wine gallon, and the ale gallon. The corn gallon, or Winchester gallon, was approximately 4.404884 litres, while the wine gallon, or Queen Anne's gallon, was 3.785411784 litres, and the ale gallon was 4.621152048 litres. The wine gallon was legally adopted as the standard US gallon in 1836. In 1824, Britain adopted the imperial gallon, abolishing all other gallons in favour of it. The imperial gallon was redefined in 1889, resulting in a slight increase in volume.
The litre was redefined in 1964, after which the imperial gallon was defined as 4.54609 litres, which was adopted in Canada and later in the United Kingdom in 1976.
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Frequently asked questions
There are 4.546 litres in an Australian gallon, also known as an imperial gallon.
There are 3.785 litres in an American gallon.
To convert from litres to Australian gallons, divide the number of litres by 4.546.
