Pounds to Quarts Conversion Calculator

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

lb

Result in Quarts:

1 lb = 0.479305709268 qt
Learn how we calculate this below

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How to Convert Pounds to Quarts

Since pounds are a unit of mass and quarts 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 quarts 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 Quarts Formula

To convert a measurement in pounds to quarts, 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 quart (lb/qt).

If the density is given in grams per milliliter (g/mL), then first multiply the density by 2.0864 to convert to lb/qt.

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

quarts = pounds / 2.0864 × density

Thus, the volume in quarts is equal to the weight in pounds divided by 2.0864 times the density (in g/mL) of the ingredient, substance, or material.

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

quarts = 5 lb / 2.0864 × 0.7 g/mL = 3.4236 qt

When to Convert Pounds to Quarts

Pounds and quarts 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 Quart?

The US liquid quart is a unit of fluid volume equal to one fourth of a gallon, two pints, or four cups.

The liquid quart should not be confused with the dry quart (US) or the imperial quart, which are different units. However, when someone refers to a volume in quarts, they typically mean the US liquid quart.

The quart is a US customary unit of volume. Quarts can be abbreviated as qt; for example, 1 quart can be written as 1 qt.

Learn more about quarts.

Pound to Quart Conversion Table

Pound measurements converted to quarts for commonly used cooking and baking ingredients.
Weight in Pounds: Volume in Quarts of:
WaterMilkCooking OilAll Purpose FlourGranulated Sugar
1 lb0.479306 qt0.465345 qt0.544666 qt0.90606 qt0.679866 qt
2 lb0.958611 qt0.930691 qt1.0893 qt1.8121 qt1.3597 qt
3 lb1.4379 qt1.396 qt1.634 qt2.7182 qt2.0396 qt
4 lb1.9172 qt1.8614 qt2.1787 qt3.6242 qt2.7195 qt
5 lb2.3965 qt2.3267 qt2.7233 qt4.5303 qt3.3993 qt
6 lb2.8758 qt2.7921 qt3.268 qt5.4364 qt4.0792 qt
7 lb3.3551 qt3.2574 qt3.8127 qt6.3424 qt4.7591 qt
8 lb3.8344 qt3.7228 qt4.3573 qt7.2485 qt5.4389 qt
9 lb4.3138 qt4.1881 qt4.902 qt8.1545 qt6.1188 qt
10 lb4.7931 qt4.6535 qt5.4467 qt9.0606 qt6.7987 qt
11 lb5.2724 qt5.1188 qt5.9913 qt9.9667 qt7.4785 qt
12 lb5.7517 qt5.5841 qt6.536 qt10.87 qt8.1584 qt
13 lb6.231 qt6.0495 qt7.0807 qt11.78 qt8.8383 qt
14 lb6.7103 qt6.5148 qt7.6253 qt12.68 qt9.5181 qt
15 lb7.1896 qt6.9802 qt8.17 qt13.59 qt10.2 qt
16 lb7.6689 qt7.4455 qt8.7146 qt14.5 qt10.88 qt
17 lb8.1482 qt7.9109 qt9.2593 qt15.4 qt11.56 qt
18 lb8.6275 qt8.3762 qt9.804 qt16.31 qt12.24 qt
19 lb9.1068 qt8.8416 qt10.35 qt17.22 qt12.92 qt
20 lb9.5861 qt9.3069 qt10.89 qt18.12 qt13.6 qt
21 lb10.07 qt9.7723 qt11.44 qt19.03 qt14.28 qt
22 lb10.54 qt10.24 qt11.98 qt19.93 qt14.96 qt
23 lb11.02 qt10.7 qt12.53 qt20.84 qt15.64 qt
24 lb11.5 qt11.17 qt13.07 qt21.75 qt16.32 qt
25 lb11.98 qt11.63 qt13.62 qt22.65 qt17 qt
26 lb12.46 qt12.1 qt14.16 qt23.56 qt17.68 qt
27 lb12.94 qt12.56 qt14.71 qt24.46 qt18.36 qt
28 lb13.42 qt13.03 qt15.25 qt25.37 qt19.04 qt
29 lb13.9 qt13.5 qt15.8 qt26.28 qt19.72 qt
30 lb14.38 qt13.96 qt16.34 qt27.18 qt20.4 qt
31 lb14.86 qt14.43 qt16.88 qt28.09 qt21.08 qt
32 lb15.34 qt14.89 qt17.43 qt28.99 qt21.76 qt
33 lb15.82 qt15.36 qt17.97 qt29.9 qt22.44 qt
34 lb16.3 qt15.82 qt18.52 qt30.81 qt23.12 qt
35 lb16.78 qt16.29 qt19.06 qt31.71 qt23.8 qt
36 lb17.26 qt16.75 qt19.61 qt32.62 qt24.48 qt
37 lb17.73 qt17.22 qt20.15 qt33.52 qt25.16 qt
38 lb18.21 qt17.68 qt20.7 qt34.43 qt25.83 qt
39 lb18.69 qt18.15 qt21.24 qt35.34 qt26.51 qt
40 lb19.17 qt18.61 qt21.79 qt36.24 qt27.19 qt

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

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