Have you ever heard the term “10 cubic feet” and thought, “what the hell does that mean?”
It’s such an ambiguous statement. Isn’t it?
But it shouldn’t be!
This post covers eight items occupying a space of approximately ten cubic feet to help you understand just how big 10 cubic feet can be. From everyday household items to popular balls, they include things surrounding us.
Let’s go!
8 Things That are Approximately 10 Cubic Feet
1. 2 Oil Barrels
A barrel is a unit of measurement used to quantify the volume of petroleum and associated products in the oil industry.
The barrel is the benchmark for pricing crude oil worldwide and holds 42 gallons of fluid or 159 liters of water.
And since 42 gallons equals 5.6 cubic feet, two would have a volume space of 11.2 cubic feet, just slightly bigger than our mark.
2. 15-20 Liter Water Jerrycans
The water we drink is sometimes stored in jerry cans of all sizes and shapes.
One of those jerrycans is the 20-liter jerrycan, which, although not common in many homes, is very popular in outdoor activities, camping sites, emergency and preparedness kits, and other industries where a lot of water is needed.
One 20-liter jerrycan takes a volume of around 0.7 cubic feet. Therefore, you need to imagine the space 15 would take if placed together.
3. Half a Standard Refrigerator
Refrigerators are very common in the United States, found in almost every kitchen for keeping food and drinks fresh and cold.
As you already know, fridges are available in all sizes and shapes. A standard refrigerator is ideal for a small kitchen area, especially if you live in a small apartment.
These standard refrigerators are usually 36 inches deep, with a width ranging from 24-40 inches and about 62-72 inches long. That means they have a volume of about 43,200 cubic inches (25 cubic feet).
So half of a standard fridge would occupy a space of roughly ten cubic feet.
4. Two Small Hay Bales
Hay bales are popular, especially in the rural areas of the United States, where they’re used to feed livestock, including cattle, goats, and horses. In urban areas, they double up as decorative materials for festivals such as Halloween, while others use them for sitting in photo shoots.
Small hay bales are excellent references for understanding small volumes, with most measuring 1.476378 ft by 1.164698 ft by 2.952756 ft.
So, if you do the math, one occupies a space of around 4.4 cubic feet, meaning two would have a volume of 8.8, just a little under our mark.
5. 300 Bricks
Bricks are versatile building materials widely used for many purposes, including constructing houses, bridges, pavements, and garden beds. You can find them in homes, commercial buildings, and outdoor spaces worldwide.
The size of bricks varies from country to country. And in the United States, a standard brick is 8 inches long, 3.625 inches wide, and 2.25 inches in height. That means it occupies a volume space of 0.0360243 cubic inches.
Therefore if you can arrange 300 US-standard bricks, they would occupy 10.8 cubic feet.
6. 40 Basketballs
Basketball is used to play basketball, which is very popular in the United States. It is played at all levels, including schools, amateur leagues, and professional competitions such as the NBA.
A properly filled basketball has a circumference of 29.5 inches and a volume of 432 cubic inches.
So to get ten cubic feet, you would need 40 filled to the same pressure.
7. 47 Soccer Balls
Soccer balls are used for playing soccer, commonly known as football in other countries. Soccer is right up there with basketball in terms of popularity and is played at all levels.
According to the International Federation of Association Football Law 2, a soccer ball should have a circumference of either 28 or 27 inches.
If you calculate the volume of a soccer ball with a circumference of 28 inches, you’ll get 371.43 inches cubed or 0.214948 cubic feet.
Therefore, you need 47 such balls to get something roughly 10 feet cubed.
8. 38-40 Big Dutch Ovens
Dutch ovens are versatile and popular cooking pots in the United States. They’re ideal for various cooking techniques, such as broiling, baking, roasting, and much more.
Dutch ovens come in all sizes, so what you pick depends on the size of the meal or the number of people you’re targeting. For example, if you’re cooking a whole chicken or a meal of eight, you can only go for the 8-quartz Dutch oven.
An 8-quart Dutch oven occupies a volume of 0.267361 cubic feet. So 38-40 will take up roughly 10 feet cubed.
Alternatively, you can use the tiny Dutch oven to understand how big cubic feet is.
It is usually one quartz and is ideal for making desserts and simmering a sauce.
So since one quartz is equivalent to 0.0334201 feet cubed, you’d need a whopping 300 to realize ten cubic feet.
