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Density Converter

Science

Convert density units instantly — kg/m³, g/cm³, g/L, kg/L, lb/ft³, and lb/gal. Useful for materials science, chemistry, and fluid engineering.

Reviewed by the thecalcu.com team · Last updated July 4, 2026

From
To
All conversionsfor 1 Grams per cm³ (g/cm³)
Kilograms per m³ (kg/m³)1000
Grams per cm³ (g/cm³)1
Grams per Litre (g/L)1000
Grams per mL (g/mL)1
Kilograms per Litre (kg/L)1
Pounds per ft³ (lb/ft³)62.427961
Pounds per US Gallon (lb/gal)8.3454045
Pounds per UK Gallon (lb/gal)10.022413

What is a Density?

A Density Converter translates density measurements between the unit systems used in chemistry, materials science, construction engineering, and industry, kilograms per cubic metre (kg/m³), grams per cubic centimetre (g/cm³), grams per litre (g/L), grams per millilitre (g/mL), kilograms per litre (kg/L), pounds per cubic foot (lb/ft³), pounds per US gallon (lb/gal US), and pounds per UK gallon (lb/gal UK).

Density is mass divided by volume, how much matter is packed into a given space. It is one of the most fundamental material properties in engineering, chemistry, and manufacturing, but it is expressed in different units depending on the discipline and the regional standard in use.

In India, density appears across many professional domains. Structural engineers calculating building dead loads use kg/m³ (per IS 456 and NBC). Chemists and pharmacists work in g/cm³ or g/mL. The petroleum sector uses kg/m³ for technical specifications and API gravity for crude oil trading. Food and beverage labs test milk density in g/mL and juice density in kg/L. Imported American equipment and chemical datasheets may specify density in lb/ft³ or lb/gal, creating conversion needs that this tool resolves.

The relationship between metric density units is simple and elegant: 1 g/cm³ = 1 g/mL = 1 kg/L = 1,000 kg/m³. This numerical neatness reflects the original definition of the gram as the mass of 1 cm³ of water. For mass and weight conversions, see the Weight Converter. For volume conversions, see the Volume Converter.

Why Use a Density Converter?

The primary practical need arises when material datasheets from different countries use different density units.

  • Import materials procurement: A Japanese steel mill's datasheet specifies density in g/cm³; the Indian IS structural calculation uses kg/m³. A quick multiply by 1,000 is easy, but lb/ft³ from an American datasheet requires a less obvious factor of 16.018.
  • Petroleum and chemicals: ASTM (American) petroleum standards specify density in lb/gal; Indian PESO and BIS standards use kg/m³. An Indian refinery comparing American and European crude assay reports regularly faces this unit gap.
  • Food safety and FSSAI compliance: Milk purity checks use density measured in g/mL; FSSAI thresholds reference g/cm³ values from standard tables. The g/mL and g/cm³ are numerically identical, but the Volume Converter pairs well for volume-to-mass calculations.

Who Should Use This Converter?

Civil and structural engineers calculating dead loads per IS 456 using material densities in kg/m³, often sourced from international datasheets in g/cm³ or lb/ft³.

Chemists and laboratory professionals switching between g/cm³ (experimental measurement) and kg/m³ (SI reporting standard) for academic papers, NABL-accredited lab reports, and FSSAI compliance filings.

Petroleum engineers and refinery technicians at ONGC, HPCL, BPCL, and private refineries cross-referencing ASTM specifications in lb/gal with BIS/IS standards in kg/m³.

Food and beverage quality managers checking product density in g/mL against FSSAI specifications for milk, honey, cooking oils, and fruit juices.

Materials scientists and R&D engineers comparing density values across international materials databases where g/cm³, kg/m³, and lb/ft³ all appear depending on the source. Pair with the Weight Converter for mass calculations.

What Insights Does the Density Converter Give You?

The reference table shows your density in all 8 units simultaneously. Entering 1 g/cm³ (water's density) immediately displays: 1,000 kg/m³, 1 g/L, 1 g/mL, 1 kg/L, 62.428 lb/ft³, 8.3454 lb/gal (US), 10.022 lb/gal (UK), the complete cross-system picture in one view.

Practical density reference scale:

  • < 1 g/cm³: floats on water, wood, ice, petrol, cork, foam
  • 1–2 g/cm³: water, light concrete, PVC, glass (some types)
  • 2–5 g/cm³: aluminium (2.70), concrete (2.40), titanium (4.51)
  • 5–10 g/cm³: steel (7.87), copper (8.96), nickel (8.91)
  • > 10 g/cm³: lead (11.34), mercury (13.53), gold (19.30)

How to use this Density calculator

  1. Select your source unit from the FROM dropdown, e.g. Grams per cm³ (g/cm³).
  2. Enter your value, e.g. 2.70 for aluminium.
  3. Select your target unit from the TO dropdown, e.g. Pounds per ft³ (lb/ft³).
  4. The result appears instantly, 2.70 g/cm³ = 168.6 lb/ft³.
  5. Use ⇅ to swap FROM and TO.
  6. View the reference table for your density in all 8 units at once.
  7. Copy the URL to share a specific conversion.

Formula & Methodology

All units convert to and from kg/m³ using exact multipliers:

| Unit | Symbol | kg/m³ (toBase) |
|---|---|---|
| Kilogram per cubic metre | kg/m³ | 1 (base) |
| Gram per cubic centimetre | g/cm³ | 1,000 |
| Gram per litre | g/L | 1 |
| Gram per millilitre | g/mL | 1,000 |
| Kilogram per litre | kg/L | 1,000 |
| Pound per cubic foot | lb/ft³ | 16.018463374 |
| Pound per US gallon | lb/gal (US) | 119.82642731 |
| Pound per UK gallon | lb/gal (UK) | 99.776372663 |

Derivation of lb/ft³:
1 lb/ft³ = 0.45359237 kg ÷ 0.028316846592 m³ = 16.018463374 kg/m³ (using exact pound and foot definitions)

Conversion formula: Result = Input × (F_from ÷ F_to)

Worked example, structural load calculation:

An American specification gives timber density as 35 lb/ft³. The IS 875 dead load table requires kg/m³.

35 lb/ft³ × 16.018 kg/m³ per lb/ft³ = 560.6 kg/m³

Round to 560 kg/m³ for dead load calculation, consistent with IS 875 Part 1 timber density range.

Common material densities:

| Material | g/cm³ | kg/m³ | lb/ft³ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water (4°C) | 1.000 | 1,000 | 62.43 |
| Petrol | ~0.745 | ~745 | ~46.5 |
| Aluminium | 2.70 | 2,700 | 168.6 |
| Concrete (plain) | 2.40 | 2,400 | 149.8 |
| Steel | 7.87 | 7,870 | 491.2 |
| Gold | 19.30 | 19,300 | 1,204.9 |

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Frequently Asked Questions

A density converter translates a density value between different unit systems, such as from grams per cubic centimetre (g/cm³) to kilograms per cubic metre (kg/m³), or from pounds per cubic foot (lb/ft³) to kilograms per litre (kg/L). Density is mass per unit volume. It is expressed in g/cm³ in chemistry and materials science, kg/m³ in SI engineering, lb/ft³ in American construction, and lb/gal in the petroleum and food industries.
Pure water at 4°C has a density of exactly 1 g/cm³ = 1,000 kg/m³ = 1 kg/L. This is not a coincidence, the gram was originally defined as the mass of 1 cm³ of water, and the litre was the volume of 1 kg of water. As a result, water's density of 1 g/cm³ serves as an intuitive reference: materials with density greater than 1 g/cm³ sink in water; those less than 1 g/cm³ float. Petrol at ~0.74 g/cm³ floats on water; iron at 7.87 g/cm³ sinks.
Multiply g/cm³ by 1,000 to get kg/m³. This is because 1 g/cm³ = 1 g per cm³, and 1 m³ = 1,000,000 cm³, while 1 kg = 1,000 g, so the ratio is (1,000 g) per (1,000,000 cm³) × (1,000,000/1,000) = 1,000 kg/m³. For example, steel at 7,870 kg/m³ = 7.87 g/cm³. This is among the most common density conversions in materials engineering.
Specific gravity (SG) is the ratio of a substance's density to the density of water (at 4°C). Since water's density is 1 g/cm³, specific gravity equals the numerical value of density in g/cm³. So gold at SG = 19.3 has a density of 19.3 g/cm³ = 19,300 kg/m³. Specific gravity is dimensionless, making it useful for quick mental comparisons. FSSAI uses specific gravity to verify the purity of milk, standard full-fat milk has SG of 1.028–1.034.
India's petroleum sector (BPCL, HPCL, IOC, ONGC) expresses fluid density in kg/m³ for technical documents and in API gravity (°API) for crude oil grading. API gravity is inversely related to density: higher API = lighter crude. Brent crude typically has API 38–40 (≈ 825–835 kg/m³); heavy crude from some Middle Eastern sources is 20–28 API (≈ 877–934 kg/m³). Import pricing is linked to API grade. American export documents may express density in lb/gal, requiring conversion.
Indian civil engineering standards (IS 456, IS 383) specify material densities in kg/m³. Key values: concrete = 2,400 kg/m³; reinforced concrete = 2,500 kg/m³; brick masonry = 1,800–2,000 kg/m³; timber = 400–900 kg/m³ (species-dependent). These figures are used to calculate dead loads for structural design. American structural textbooks use lb/ft³ (concrete ≈ 150 lb/ft³), requiring conversion for Indian IS code practice.
Indian standard petrol (gasoline) has a density of approximately 720–775 kg/m³ (0.720–0.775 g/cm³) depending on blend and temperature, as per BIS IS 2796. Diesel fuel is denser at approximately 820–845 kg/m³. This means 1 litre of petrol weighs about 750 grams and 1 litre of diesel about 835 grams. Density affects fuel economy calculations, denser fuel contains more energy per litre but less per kilogram.
Select your source unit from the FROM dropdown, for example, 'Grams per cm³ (g/cm³)'. Enter your value, such as 7.87 for structural steel. Choose your target unit in the TO dropdown, for example, 'Kilograms per m³ (kg/m³)'. The result appears instantly: 7.87 g/cm³ = 7,870 kg/m³. Use the ⇅ swap button to reverse, and view the reference table to see the density in all 8 units at once.
Both are imperial density units, differing in the volume denominator. Pounds per cubic foot (lb/ft³) measures mass per cubic foot (28.317 litres); pounds per gallon measures mass per US gallon (3.785 litres) or UK gallon (4.546 litres). Water at 62.43 lb/ft³ = 8.345 lb/gal (US) = 10.02 lb/gal (UK). Lb/ft³ is used in construction and structural engineering; lb/gal is used in liquid chemical, petroleum, and food processing industries, particularly in American specification sheets.
Air density at sea level (15°C) is approximately 1.225 kg/m³. At higher altitudes, density drops: in Delhi (216 m) it is ~1.20 kg/m³; in Bangalore (920 m) ~1.14 kg/m³; at Leh (3,500 m) only ~0.87 kg/m³. Lower air density reduces engine power output (since less oxygen per intake stroke), aerodynamic drag, and aircraft lift. This is why airlines must reduce payload on flights from Leh and Shimla airports, the low-density air reduces maximum take-off weight.
Osmium at 22,590 kg/m³ (22.59 g/cm³) is the densest naturally occurring element. Gold is 19,300 kg/m³ and lead is 11,340 kg/m³, both significantly denser than steel at 7,870 kg/m³. At the other extreme, aerogel (a synthetic solid) achieves densities as low as 1.9 kg/m³, close to air. Among common engineering materials, balsa wood is about 120 kg/m³, polystyrene foam is 10–50 kg/m³, and cork is 120–240 kg/m³.
Most liquids become less dense as temperature increases, thermal expansion pushes molecules apart. Water is an exception between 0°C and 4°C, where it becomes denser as it warms. Above 4°C, water follows the normal pattern and becomes less dense with temperature increase. For industrial fluids in India, density specifications are typically given at 15°C or 20°C as a standard reference temperature. Petroleum product volumes are commercially traded corrected to 15°C to account for temperature-related density variation.
Also known as
kg per m3 to g per cm3density unit conversionspecific gravity convertermass per volume converterg/cm3 to kg/m3water density converterdensity unit convertergrams per millilitre to kg per litre