Although the SI unit of volume is the cubic meter and, by extension, the cubic centimeter (1 cm3=0.000 001 m3), the liter and its submultiples are preferred to the cubic meter and its submultiples for the expression of volumes and substance or mass concentrations in clinical chemistry. For practical purposes 1 cubic decimeter (dm3) = 1 liter (L). It recommended that capital (L) be used as the abbreviation of liter because the lowercase l can easily be misread as the numeral 1. A measure of capacity of 1000 cubic centimeters or 1 cubic decimeter; equivalent to 1.056688 quarts (U.S., liquid). [Fr., fr. G. litra, a pound]
