Density calculator
Density is mass per unit of volume: divide mass by volume to learn what each cubic metre or cubic centimetre of a substance weighs. One formula answers three questions, since knowing any two quantities gives the third.
kg
m³
Density
1,000kg/m³
- Grams per cubic centimetre
- 1g/cm³
Rates and thresholds
- Formula
- ρ = m ÷ V
- Water (4 °C)
- 1000 kg/m³
- Unit relation
- 1 g/cm³ = 1000 kg/m³
How do I calculate density?
Divide mass by volume: if 2 kg of material occupies 0.0008 cubic metres, the density is 2 ÷ 0.0008 = 2500 kg/m³. Keep the units consistent — kilograms per cubic metre or grams per cubic centimetre, never mixed, since the two differ by a factor of a thousand.
Why do some materials float on water?
Because their density is lower than water's. Water is about 1000 kg/m³, so anything below that floats and anything above sinks. It is also why ice floats: water expands as it freezes, leaving ice less dense than the liquid it came from.
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