Science & Engineering
Density Calculator - Mass, Volume & Density Solver
Calculate density, mass, or volume using D = m/V. Supports metric and imperial units with common material density reference.
Leave one field blank - it will be calculated using D = m / V.
Common material densities
| Water (4°C) | 1000 kg/m³ |
| Sea water | 1025 kg/m³ |
| Air (20°C) | 1.204 kg/m³ |
| Aluminium | 2700 kg/m³ |
| Steel | 7850 kg/m³ |
| Iron | 7874 kg/m³ |
| Copper | 8960 kg/m³ |
| Gold | 19300 kg/m³ |
| Oak wood | 720 kg/m³ |
| Concrete | 2300 kg/m³ |
| Ice | 917 kg/m³ |
| Ethanol | 789 kg/m³ |
Density formula
D = m / V — density equals mass divided by volume. Rearranged: m = D × V to find mass, or V = m / D to find volume. The SI unit of density is kg/m³, though g/cm³ is common in chemistry since it gives convenient numbers for everyday materials (water is almost exactly 1 g/cm³).
Common density conversions
- 1 g/cm³ = 1 g/mL = 1 kg/L = 1000 kg/m³
- 1 lb/ft³ ≈ 16.018 kg/m³
Material density reference
| Material | Density (kg/m³) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Air (20°C) | 1.2 | Changes significantly with altitude and temperature |
| Wood (pine) | ~500 | Floats in water; varies by species and moisture |
| Water (4°C) | 1000 | Reference point for buoyancy calculations |
| Ice | 917 | Less dense than liquid water — why ice floats |
| Concrete | ~2300 | Varies with aggregate and mix ratio |
| Aluminum | 2700 | Lightest common structural metal |
| Steel | 7850 | Standard structural and engineering material |
| Lead | 11340 | Used in radiation shielding and ballast |
| Gold | 19300 | Nearly 20× denser than water |
Archimedes' principle and buoyancy
Archimedes' principle states that an object submerged in a fluid experiences an upward buoyant force equal to the weight of the fluid it displaces. An object floats when that buoyant force equals or exceeds its own weight — which happens when the object's average density is less than or equal to the fluid's density. This is why a solid steel ball sinks (density 7850 kg/m³, far above water's 1000 kg/m³) but a steel ship floats: the hull encloses a large volume of air, bringing the ship's average density below that of water. Ice floats on water for the same reason — it is about 8% less dense than liquid water, which is why roughly 90% of an iceberg sits below the surface.
Density in everyday life
Oil floats on water because most cooking oils have a density around 900 kg/m³, slightly below water. The egg freshness test works because a fresh egg is dense (the air cell inside is tiny), while an older egg has a larger air cell as moisture escapes through the shell, lowering its average density until it floats. In geology, rock samples are weighed in air and then in water to calculate density from the buoyancy difference — a technique that can identify mineral composition without cutting or crushing the sample.