Final answer:
A liter is a unit of volume equivalent to the space occupied by a cube measuring 10 cm on each side, which is also 1,000 cubic centimeters or 1 cubic decimeter.
Step-by-step explanation:
Definition of a Liter
The liter is a unit of volume primarily used in the measurement of liquids. By definition, a liter corresponds to the volume of a cube that has dimensions of 10 centimeters (1 decimeter) on each side. This means a liter is equivalent to 1,000 cubic centimeters (1,000 cm³) or exactly 1 cubic decimeter (1 dm³).
Volume, which is the amount of space occupied by an object, is calculated by multiplying an object's length by its width and its height. Therefore, when you multiply 10 cm (length) by 10 cm (width) by 10 cm (height), you get the defined volume of one liter.
When comparing the liter to other volume units, we find that it is about 1.06 quarts, slightly larger than the U.S. liquid quart. Smaller volumes are often measured in milliliters, which are one-thousandths of a liter (1 mL = 1 cm³), and larger volumes may be measured in kiloliters, which are one thousand liters (1 kL = 1,000 L).