Pounds to Gallons Conversion Calculator

Enter the weight in pounds below to calculate the volume in gallons.

lb

Result in Gallons:

1 lb = 0.119826427317 gal
Learn how we calculate this below

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How to Convert Pounds to Gallons

Since pounds are a unit of mass and gallons are a unit of volume, which are different physical quantities, we need to know one more physical quantity of the ingredient or substance to convert between them. In this case, we need to account for the density of the substance whenever we do a conversion.

Therefore, to convert between pounds and gallons of an ingredient or substance, we must either multiply or divide by its density, depending on which direction we are performing the conversion.

Pounds to Gallons Formula

To convert a measurement in pounds to gallons, divide the weight by the density of the ingredient or material. Note that in order for this to work, the density must be in pounds per gallon (lb/gal).

If the density is given in grams per milliliter (g/mL), then first multiply the density by 8.3454 to convert to lb/gal.

For a density given in g/mL, you can use this simple formula to convert:

gallons = pounds / 8.3454 × density

Thus, the volume in gallons is equal to the weight in pounds divided by 8.3454 times the density (in g/mL) of the ingredient, substance, or material.

For example, here's how to convert 5 pounds to gallons for an ingredient with a density of 0.7 g/mL.

gallons = 5 lb / 8.3454 × 0.7 g/mL = 0.8559 gal

When to Convert Pounds to Gallons

Pounds and gallons are both commonly used to measure cooking ingredients.

For cooking applications, most chefs suggest measuring dry ingredients by weight rather than volume to improve accuracy in the measurements.[1] The density of dry ingredients can vary for a variety of reasons, such as compaction and clumping.

The best way to ensure an accurate conversion is to use a scale. When a scale is not available, a calculator like the one above is a good way to estimate the weight to volume conversion.

Another useful application of weight and volume conversions is chemistry. When performing chemical reactions by combining separate chemicals to produce a new chemical, one must know the exact amount of each chemical to add in order to maximize the yield of the reaction.

It is common to mix powdered chemicals with liquid, or aqueous, chemicals, and this is where it becomes very useful to convert between weights and volumes.[2]

A third application of weight and volume conversions is when shipping freight when calculating the volumetric weight for cargo and packages. Trucks, ships, and airplanes are limited in the amount of weight or volume they can transport, so if one of those quantities is known, but the limitation is on the other, then it becomes necessary to convert between the two so as not to overload the shipping vehicle.

Keep reading to learn more about each unit of measure.

What Is a Pound?

Pounds are a widely used unit of weight in the United States. The National Bureau of Standards approved the international definition of the pound for use in the United States in 1959 after an agreement between six nations referred to as the International Yard and Pound Agreement.[3]

One pound is equal to 16 ounces, or 0.45359237 kilograms. In the avoirdupois or apothecaries' systems, one pound is equal to 7,000 grains.[4]

The pound is a US customary and imperial unit of mass. A pound is sometimes also referred to as a common ounce. Pounds can be abbreviated as lb (plural lbs), and are also sometimes abbreviated as lbm or #. For example, 1 pound can be written as 1 lb, 1 lbm, or 1 #, and 2 pounds can be written as 2 lbs.

A pound is frequently referred to as a unit of weight. While technically, a pound is a measure of mass, and weight is actually a measure of force, the two are equivalent as long as we are performing our calculations on Earth.

For example, an object with a mass of 1 pound weighs 1 pound on Earth, but only weighs one-sixth of that on the moon, yet still has the same mass.

Learn more about pounds.

What Is a Gallon?

The US liquid gallon is a unit of fluid volume equal to four quarts, eight pints, or sixteen cups.[5] The US liquid gallon should not be confused with the US dry gallon or the imperial gallon, which are different units of measure.

The gallon is a US customary unit of volume. Gallons can be abbreviated as gal; for example, 1 gallon can be written as 1 gal.

Learn more about gallons.

Pound to Gallon Conversion Table

Pound measurements converted to gallons for commonly used cooking and baking ingredients.
Weight in Pounds: Volume in Gallons of:
WaterMilkCooking OilAll Purpose FlourGranulated Sugar
1 lb0.119826 gal0.116336 gal0.136166 gal0.226515 gal0.169967 gal
2 lb0.239653 gal0.232673 gal0.272333 gal0.45303 gal0.339933 gal
3 lb0.359479 gal0.349009 gal0.408499 gal0.679545 gal0.5099 gal
4 lb0.479306 gal0.465345 gal0.544666 gal0.90606 gal0.679866 gal
5 lb0.599132 gal0.581682 gal0.680832 gal1.1326 gal0.849833 gal
6 lb0.718959 gal0.698018 gal0.816998 gal1.3591 gal1.0198 gal
7 lb0.838785 gal0.814354 gal0.953165 gal1.5856 gal1.1898 gal
8 lb0.958611 gal0.930691 gal1.0893 gal1.8121 gal1.3597 gal
9 lb1.0784 gal1.047 gal1.2255 gal2.0386 gal1.5297 gal
10 lb1.1983 gal1.1634 gal1.3617 gal2.2652 gal1.6997 gal
11 lb1.3181 gal1.2797 gal1.4978 gal2.4917 gal1.8696 gal
12 lb1.4379 gal1.396 gal1.634 gal2.7182 gal2.0396 gal
13 lb1.5577 gal1.5124 gal1.7702 gal2.9447 gal2.2096 gal
14 lb1.6776 gal1.6287 gal1.9063 gal3.1712 gal2.3795 gal
15 lb1.7974 gal1.745 gal2.0425 gal3.3977 gal2.5495 gal
16 lb1.9172 gal1.8614 gal2.1787 gal3.6242 gal2.7195 gal
17 lb2.037 gal1.9777 gal2.3148 gal3.8508 gal2.8894 gal
18 lb2.1569 gal2.0941 gal2.451 gal4.0773 gal3.0594 gal
19 lb2.2767 gal2.2104 gal2.5872 gal4.3038 gal3.2294 gal
20 lb2.3965 gal2.3267 gal2.7233 gal4.5303 gal3.3993 gal
21 lb2.5164 gal2.4431 gal2.8595 gal4.7568 gal3.5693 gal
22 lb2.6362 gal2.5594 gal2.9957 gal4.9833 gal3.7393 gal
23 lb2.756 gal2.6757 gal3.1318 gal5.2098 gal3.9092 gal
24 lb2.8758 gal2.7921 gal3.268 gal5.4364 gal4.0792 gal
25 lb2.9957 gal2.9084 gal3.4042 gal5.6629 gal4.2492 gal
26 lb3.1155 gal3.0247 gal3.5403 gal5.8894 gal4.4191 gal
27 lb3.2353 gal3.1411 gal3.6765 gal6.1159 gal4.5891 gal
28 lb3.3551 gal3.2574 gal3.8127 gal6.3424 gal4.7591 gal
29 lb3.475 gal3.3738 gal3.9488 gal6.5689 gal4.929 gal
30 lb3.5948 gal3.4901 gal4.085 gal6.7955 gal5.099 gal
31 lb3.7146 gal3.6064 gal4.2212 gal7.022 gal5.269 gal
32 lb3.8344 gal3.7228 gal4.3573 gal7.2485 gal5.4389 gal
33 lb3.9543 gal3.8391 gal4.4935 gal7.475 gal5.6089 gal
34 lb4.0741 gal3.9554 gal4.6297 gal7.7015 gal5.7789 gal
35 lb4.1939 gal4.0718 gal4.7658 gal7.928 gal5.9488 gal
36 lb4.3138 gal4.1881 gal4.902 gal8.1545 gal6.1188 gal
37 lb4.4336 gal4.3044 gal5.0382 gal8.3811 gal6.2888 gal
38 lb4.5534 gal4.4208 gal5.1743 gal8.6076 gal6.4587 gal
39 lb4.6732 gal4.5371 gal5.3105 gal8.8341 gal6.6287 gal
40 lb4.7931 gal4.6535 gal5.4467 gal9.0606 gal6.7987 gal

References

  1. National Institute of Standards & Technology, Culinary Measurement Tips, https://www.nist.gov/pml/owm/culinary-measurement-tips
  2. CK-12 Foundation, Introductory Chemistry (CK-12) - 12.6: Mass-Volume Stoichiometry, https://chem.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/Introductory_Chemistry/Introductory_Chemistry_(CK-12)/12%3A_Stoichiometry/12.06%3A_Mass-Volume_Stoichiometry
  3. National Bureau of Standards, Refinement of Values for the Yard and Pound, U.S. Department of Commerce, July 1, 1959, https://www.nist.gov/system/files/documents/2017/05/09/frn-59-5442-1959.pdf
  4. Encyclopædia Britannica, Avoirdupois weight, https://www.britannica.com/science/avoirdupois-weight
  5. National Institute of Standards and Technology, Specifications, Tolerances, and Other Technical Requirements for Weighing and Measuring Devices, Handbook 44 - 2019 Edition, https://nvlpubs.nist.gov/nistpubs/hb/2019/NIST.HB.44-2019.pdf

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