Density Converter

What this tool does

Density Converter changes mass-per-volume values between metric and imperial units for liquids, solids and gases. A reference table of common materials helps you check whether a converted value is realistic.

Density links mass and volume, and it is quoted in many combinations. Lab data uses g/cm³ or g/mL, engineering standards use kg/m³, US material tables use lb/ft³ or lb/in³, and fuel and chemical suppliers quote pounds per gallon. Converting by hand means converting a mass unit and a cubed length unit at the same time, which is where errors creep in.

This converter uses kilograms per cubic metre as its base. Metric factors are simple powers of ten: 1 g/cm³ = 1 g/mL = 1 kg/L = 1,000 kg/m³. Imperial factors are calculated from the exact pound (0.45359237 kg), inch, foot and gallon definitions, so 1 lb/ft³ is about 16.0185 kg/m³ and 1 lb/US gal about 119.83 kg/m³. The materials table gives typical values for fuels, water, metals and concrete. Calculations stay in your browser.

How to use Density Converter

1. Enter the density in the Value field.
2. Choose the From unit, for example Gram per cubic centimetre.
3. Choose the To unit, for example Pound per cubic foot, and read the Result.
4. Swap the direction or adjust Decimal places if needed.
5. Compare against the Approximate densities of common materials table.
6. Convert several values at once with Batch convert and save them as CSV.

Tips for better results

• Water is about 1 g/cm³, so a density in g/cm³ is close to the specific gravity.
• To find mass, multiply density by volume in matching units, for example kg/m³ × m³.
• Concentrations like mg/L share units with density, which is useful for water quality figures.

Common use cases

• Converting material densities from US tables to SI for engineering calculations.
• Estimating the weight of fuel, oil or chemicals from a volume.
• Converting lab measurements between g/mL and kg/m³.
• Checking concrete, steel and aggregate weights for construction estimates.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Forgetting that a cubic unit scales by the cube: 1 g/cm³ is 1,000 kg/m³, not 100.
• Mixing US and imperial gallons in lb/gal figures.
• Ignoring temperature for liquids and gases, whose densities change noticeably when heated.