Science
Density calculator
Pick density, mass, or volume to solve. Enter the other two and the calculator returns all three. Useful for material identification, buoyancy questions, and chemistry homework.
Formula
Density (ρ, rho) is mass per unit volume — how much matter is packed into a given space. A cubic centimeter of water weighs 1 gram, so water's density is 1 g/cm³ (or 1000 kg/m³). Materials denser than water sink in it; less dense float.
This calculator uses g and cm³ as the input units (1 g/cm³ is convenient because water = 1). For other units, convert with our weight and volume converters first. To go to kg/m³, multiply g/cm³ by 1000.
Density at given pressure and temperature is a fundamental physical property. For pure substances at standard conditions, it identifies the material — gold is 19.3 g/cm³, aluminum 2.7, ice 0.917, mercury 13.5. For gases it depends strongly on pressure and temperature.
Examples
- 01100 g of olive oil in 125 cm³→ ρ = 100/125 = 0.8 g/cm³ (matches olive oil)
- 02Gold cube, side 5 cm→ V = 125 cm³, ρ_gold = 19.3 → mass = 2413 g (~2.4 kg)
- 031 L of water→ V = 1000 cm³, ρ = 1.0 → mass = 1000 g = 1 kg
FAQ
- Water molecules form a crystalline hexagonal lattice when freezing that takes up more space than liquid water. Ice is ~0.917 g/cm³, water is 1.0 → ice floats. This anomaly is essential for aquatic life surviving cold winters.