Containers and capacity

20 litre jerrycan

A jerrycan is a sturdy container for storing and transporting liquids such as fuel or water.

How big is it?

20 L in capacity

Also 5.283 US gal

Volume · example

Scale illustration of 20 litre jerrycan, calibrated to its volume measurement.
The marked volume represents 20 L.

A little perspective

About the same scale as Butter churn.

Butter churn: A butter churn is a vessel with a mechanism for agitating cream to produce butter, traditionally operated by hand.

True volume
01
02
Butter churn20 LDefined nominal capacity
These are equal-volume cubes. Edge lengths grow with the cube root of capacity; the cubes do not depict container exteriors.
Measurements, assumptions & sources +

20 litre jerrycan

Defined 20 litre capacity. Actual containers, servings and fills vary. Outer shape is not used to calculate capacity.

Defined examples — our methodology

The marked volume is calibrated. Unmeasured illustration details are representative.

Butter churn

A defined traditional 20 litre dasher churn, 80 cm tall and 10 kg empty. Construction and working fill vary.

Defined examples — our methodology

The marked defined nominal capacity is calibrated. Unmeasured illustration details are representative.

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Why this measurement?

Why we use 20 L

For comparison, this page uses volume. This is labelled example: an explicit comparison model rather than a claim that every example has the same value.

Defined 20 litre capacity. Actual containers, servings and fills vary. Outer shape is not used to calculate capacity.

The identifying illustration and the numerical comparison remain separate. How calibrated comparisons work →

Explore containers and capacity →

Recorded properties

20 litre jerrycan dimensions and measurements

PropertySelected valueRecorded rangeBasis
20 LNot recordedexample

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Sources and method

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