what does cfm mean on a air compressor
When a compressor pumps one CFM (cubic foot per minute), that means the intake port inhales one cubic foot of free air (air at atmospheric pressure, which is 0 psig) per minute. (Note: A CFM does not mean in any sense the compressed volume.) So the unit really measures the mass of air flowing per minute, not volume per minute, since a cubic foot of free air is a unit of mass.