Convert imperial bushels to liters with confidence
1 imp bu x 36.36872 = 36.36872 L
Picture this: You're a British farmer exporting oats to Germany. Your harvest yield is measured in Imperial bushels, but your buyer needs quantities in liters. That 18th-century unit meets 21st-century metrics right here. Our conversion tool bridges that gap instantly – no abacus required.
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Unit definitions
What is an imperial bushel (imp bu)?
The Imperial bushel is like the grande dame of British dry measurement. Born from agricultural necessity, it's primarily used for grains, fruits, and vegetables.
- Symbol: imp bu
- Common uses: Grain production statistics, historical recipes, agricultural fairs
- Definition: Exactly 8 Imperial gallons or 2219.36 cubic inches
What is a liter (L)?
The liter is the metric system's liquid workhorse. From soda bottles to car engines, it's everywhere except... well, three countries still resisting metrication.
- Symbol: L (uppercase)
- Common uses: Beverage labeling, laboratory measurements, fuel economy ratings
- Definition: 1 cubic decimeter (10cm × 10cm × 10cm cube)
Conversion formula
The magic equation connecting these measurement worlds:
Liters = Imperial bushels × 36.36872
Why 36.36872? Blame (or thank) the 1824 Weights and Measures Act that standardized Imperial units. It's exactly 8 Imperial gallons converted through their liter equivalents.
Example calculations
- Converting 2.5 imp bu to liters:
2.5 × 36.36872 = 90.9218 liters
That's about 121 standard wine bottles – useful knowledge for hypothetical grain-to-wine comparisons. - Converting 50 liters to imp bu:
50 ÷ 36.36872 ≈ 1.3747 imp bu
Roughly the volume of 50 liters of apples in traditional bushel baskets.
Conversion tables
Imperial bushels to liters
| Imperial Bushels | Liters |
|---|---|
| 1 | 36.3687 |
| 2 | 72.7374 |
| 3 | 109.1062 |
| 4 | 145.4749 |
| 5 | 181.8436 |
| 10 | 363.6872 |
| 20 | 727.3744 |
| 50 | 1,818.436 |
Liters to imperial bushels
| Liters | Imperial Bushels |
|---|---|
| 10 | 0.2749 |
| 25 | 0.6874 |
| 50 | 1.3747 |
| 100 | 2.7494 |
| 200 | 5.4988 |
| 500 | 13.7471 |
| 1,000 | 27.4942 |
Historical background
The bushel's story begins in medieval England, where actual baskets ("bushels") determined grain volumes. Problem was, basket sizes varied by village. The 13th-century Assize of Bread and Ale first attempted standardization – bakers caught shortchanging customers faced dunking punishments.
The Imperial bushel we use today was formalized in 1824, part of Britain's measurement cleanup. Meanwhile, France gave us the liter during the 1790's metric revolution . Originally defined as 1 cubic decimeter, it was later tweaked in 1964 to avoid microscopic measurement conflicts.
Interesting facts
- Apple paradox: A "bushel of apples" weighs about 42 pounds (19kg), but weight varies by apple size and packing density
- Shakespearean measures: In Richard III, the Duke of Gloucester demands "a bushel of wheat" – equivalent to 72 modern 1lb loaves
- Liter etymology: From French "litron," an obsolete measure, which came from Greek "litra" (a unit of weight)
- Bushel baskets: Still used symbolically in US farmers markets, though actual sales use pounds or kilograms
- Space liters: NASA uses liters for lunar soil samples, proving even space exploration needs earthly measures
FAQ
An Imperial bushel equals 36.36872 liters, while a US bushel is slightly smaller at 35.23907 liters. This 3% difference matters in international trade.
Liters are part of the globally recognized metric system, making them essential for scientific research, international shipping, and recipes requiring precise measurements.
While the UK officially uses metric, many agricultural communities still reference bushels for tradition, especially when discussing grain yields with older farmers.
Divide the liter value by 36.36872. For example, 100 liters ÷ 36.36872 ≈ 2.75 Imperial bushels.
Primarily for dry goods. For liquids, Imperial gallons are more common. 1 Imperial gallon equals 4.54609 liters.