Density Calculator: Formula, Table and mL to Grams

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Density Calculator: mL to Grams and Litres to kg

How much does 1 litre weigh? It depends on the density of the substance. Pick a substance, enter a volume or a mass, and get the result with the working. 41 substances, from water and cooking oil to sulfuric acid.

For kg/m³ divide by 1000, e.g. 1840 kg/m³ = 1.84 g/mL.
Fill in volume or mass; the other one is calculated.
The result appears here.
Short answer: 1 litre of water ≈ 1 kg (0.998 kg at 20 °C) and 1 mL of water ≈ 1 g. For anything else multiply the volume by its density: 1 litre of cooking oil ≈ 0.91 kg, 1 litre of 98% sulfuric acid ≈ 1.84 kg.

What is density?

Density (symbol ρ, rho) is the mass of a substance per unit volume. A litre of honey is heavier than a litre of water, and a litre of water is heavier than a litre of oil, which is why oil floats on water.

Density formula

ρ = m ÷ Vmass m = ρ × V · volume V = m ÷ ρ
ρdensity (kg/m³ or g/mL)mmass (kg or g)Vvolume (m³ or mL)

Keep units consistent: grams with mL gives g/mL; kg with m³ gives kg/m³.

Unit Equals
1 g/mL 1 g/cm³ = 1 kg/L = 1000 kg/m³
1 kg/m³ 0.001 g/mL = 1 g/L
1 mL 1 cm³ (cc)
1 L 1000 mL = 1 dm³ = 0.001 m³

Litres to kg and mL to grams

Multiply litres by the density in g/mL (equal to kg/L) to get kg; multiply mL by g/mL to get grams. To go back, divide the mass by the density.

Substance 1 litre = 1 ml = 1 kg =
Pure water (20 °C) 0.998 kg 0.998 g 1.002 L
Cooking oil (palm) 0.91 kg 0.91 g 1.099 L
Fresh cow milk 1.03 kg 1.03 g 0.971 L
Honey 1.42 kg 1.42 g 0.704 L
Ethanol 96% (v/v) 0.807 kg 0.807 g 1.239 L
Ethanol 70% (v/v) 0.886 kg 0.886 g 1.129 L
Petrol (gasoline) 0.74 kg 0.74 g 1.351 L
Diesel 0.84 kg 0.84 g 1.19 L
Glycerol (glycerin) 1.261 kg 1.261 g 0.793 L
Sulfuric acid 98% (H2SO4) 1.84 kg 1.84 g 0.543 L
Hydrochloric acid 37% (HCl) 1.19 kg 1.19 g 0.84 L
Mercury (Hg, liquid) 13.546 kg 13.546 g 0.074 L

Worked examples

Example 1: 1 litre of water in kg

Water at 20 °C has a density of 0.9982 g/mL. What is the mass of 1 litre?

  1. V = 1 L = 1000 mL
  2. m = ρ × V = 0.9982 g/mL × 1000 mL = 998.2 g

Answer: 998.2 g ≈ 1 kg. At 4 °C it is 999.97 g.

Example 2: 1 kg of cooking oil in litres

Palm cooking oil is about 0.91 g/mL. What volume is 1 kg?

  1. m = 1000 g
  2. V = m ÷ ρ = 1000 g ÷ 0.91 g/mL = 1099 mL

Answer: about 1.1 litres.

Example 3: concentrated sulfuric acid

What is the mass of 500 mL of 98% sulfuric acid (ρ = 1.84 g/mL)?

  1. m = 1.84 g/mL × 500 mL = 920 g

Answer: 920 g, so 1 litre weighs about 1.84 kg.

Example 4: identifying a metal

A 50.0 g metal piece raises the water in a measuring cylinder from 20.0 mL to 26.35 mL. Which metal is it?

  1. V = 6.35 cm³
  2. ρ = 50.0 g ÷ 6.35 cm³ = 7.87 g/cm³

Answer: 7.87 g/cm³ matches iron.

Density table

Values at the stated temperature. Technical liquids vary with composition; approximate values are typical, not specifications.

Substance ρ (g/mL) ρ (kg/m³) Temp. · source
Water & everyday liquids
Pure water (4 °C) 0.99997 1,000 4 °C · CRC Handbook
Pure water (20 °C) 0.99821 998.2 20 °C · CRC Handbook
Pure water (25 °C) 0.99705 997 25 °C · CRC Handbook
Seawater 1.025 1,025 15–20 °C · approximate
Cooking oil (palm) 0.91 910 20 °C · approximate
Olive oil 0.913 913 20 °C · approximate
Fresh cow milk 1.03 1,030 27,5 °C · SNI 3141.1:2011 (min. 1.027)
Honey 1.42 1,420 20 °C · approximate
Laboratory solvents
Absolute ethanol 0.7893 789.3 20 °C · CRC Handbook
Ethanol 96% (v/v) 0.8074 807.4 20 °C · OIML R 22 table
Ethanol 70% (v/v) 0.886 886 20 °C · OIML R 22 table
Methanol 0.7914 791.4 20 °C · CRC Handbook
Isopropanol (IPA) 0.785 785 20 °C · CRC Handbook
Acetone 0.79 790 20 °C · CRC Handbook
Glycerol (glycerin) 1.261 1,261 20 °C · CRC Handbook
Chloroform 1.48 1,480 25 °C · CRC Handbook
n-Hexane 0.66 660 20–25 °C · CRC Handbook
Ethyl acetate 0.9 900 20–25 °C · CRC Handbook
Concentrated acids, bases & reagents
Sulfuric acid 98% (H2SO4) 1.84 1,840 20 °C · typical label value
Hydrochloric acid 37% (HCl) 1.19 1,190 20 °C · typical label value
Nitric acid 65% (HNO3) 1.4 1,400 20 °C · typical label value
Phosphoric acid 85% (H3PO4) 1.69 1,690 20 °C · typical label value
Glacial acetic acid 100% 1.05 1,050 20 °C · typical label value
NaOH 50% (solution) 1.52 1,520 20 °C · CRC Handbook
Ammonia 25% (NH3) 0.91 910 20 °C · typical label value
Hydrogen peroxide 30% 1.11 1,110 20 °C · typical label value
Fuels
Petrol (gasoline) 0.74 740 15 °C · approximate
Diesel 0.84 840 15 °C · approximate
Kerosene 0.8 800 15 °C · approximate
Metals & solids (mL = cm³)
Mercury (Hg, liquid) 13.546 13,546 20 °C · CRC Handbook
Iron (Fe) 7.874 7,874 20 °C · CRC Handbook
Carbon steel 7.85 7,850 20 °C · approximate
Aluminium (Al) 2.7 2,700 20 °C · CRC Handbook
Copper (Cu) 8.96 8,960 20 °C · CRC Handbook
Lead (Pb) 11.34 11,340 20 °C · CRC Handbook
Silver (Ag) 10.49 10,490 20 °C · CRC Handbook
Gold (Au) 19.32 19,320 20 °C · CRC Handbook
Glass (soda-lime) 2.5 2,500 20 °C · approximate
Ice 0.917 917 0 °C · CRC Handbook
Table salt NaCl (solid crystal) 2.17 2,170 20 °C · CRC Handbook
Gas
Dry air (1 atm) 0.0012 1.2 20 °C · CRC Handbook

Density of water by temperature

Temperature 0 °C 4 °C 10 °C 15 °C 20 °C 25 °C
ρ (g/mL) 0.99984 0.99997 0.9997 0.9991 0.99821 0.99705
Temperature 30 °C 40 °C 50 °C 60 °C 80 °C 100 °C
ρ (g/mL) 0.99565 0.99222 0.98804 0.9832 0.97179 0.95835

How to measure density

1. Pycnometer (most accurate for liquids)

  • Weigh the clean, dry pycnometer (m0).
  • Fill with distilled water, insert the stopper, wipe and weigh (m1). Note the temperature.
  • Dry it, fill with the sample at the same temperature and weigh (m2).
  • ρ sample = (m2 − m0) ÷ (m1 − m0) × ρ water at that temperature.

2. Hydrometer (quick, direct reading)

Float the hydrometer freely in a cylinder of sample and read the scale at the liquid surface. Hydrometers are calibrated at a set temperature (usually 20 °C), so record the sample temperature too. Special scales exist, such as alcoholmeters and the Baumé scale.

3. Balance and measuring cylinder

Weigh an empty cylinder, add a known volume of sample and weigh again. For irregular solids measure the volume by displacement, as in example 4.

A pycnometer is only as good as the balance: use an analytical balance (0.1 mg), match sample and water temperatures and avoid air bubbles.

Equipment and reagents at AMI Scientific

The pycnometer, hydrometers and TCI reagents below are available at AMI Scientific. TCI products are ordered through a formal quotation with lot CoA and SDS.

IWAKI Picnometer 5–100 mlGlass pycnometer for liquid density with an analytical balance.View product →Hidrometer Alla France 301.060Reads liquid density straight from the scale.View product →Hidrometer dengan Termometer Alla France 301.060Hydrometer with built-in thermometer, so density and temperature are read together.View product →Hidrometer Alkohol (Alkoholmeter) Alla FranceMeasures alcohol strength from the density of an ethanol–water mixture.View product →Hidrometer Baume 0–30 °Bé Alla FranceBaumé scale for salt, sugar and dilute acid solutions.View product →TCI G0316 Glycerol [for Electrophoresis]High-purity TCI glycerol, ρ about 1.26 g/mL.Request a quote →TCI N0806 Nitric Acid (67%)Concentrated nitric acid from TCI with lot CoA and SDS.Request a quote →Neraca analitik: fungsi & cara pakaiAccurate weighing is half of any density measurement.Read the guide →

Data sources: CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics (water, solvents, metals), OIML R 22 alcoholometric tables (70% and 96% ethanol), SNI 3141.1:2011 fresh milk (minimum 1.027 at 27.5 °C), and typical label values for concentrated reagents, as used by the concentrated acid calculator.

Frequently asked questions

How many kg is 1 litre?

It depends on the substance. 1 litre of water = 0.998 kg at 20 °C, so practically 1 kg. 1 litre of cooking oil ≈ 0.91 kg, 96% ethanol ≈ 0.81 kg, honey ≈ 1.42 kg and 98% sulfuric acid ≈ 1.84 kg. The formula is mass = density × volume.

How many grams is 1 mL?

For water, 1 mL ≈ 1 g (0.998 g at 20 °C). For other substances 1 mL weighs its density in grams: cooking oil ≈ 0.91 g, 70% ethanol ≈ 0.89 g, glycerol ≈ 1.26 g.

What is the difference between density and specific gravity?

Density (ρ) is mass per volume, in kg/m³ or g/cm³. Specific gravity is the ratio of a substance density to the density of water, so it has no unit. Weight density (ρ × g, N/m³) is a third, physics-class quantity.

What are the units of density?

The SI unit is kg/m³. Labs mostly use g/mL or g/cm³. 1 g/mL = 1 g/cm³ = 1 kg/L = 1000 kg/m³.

Why is water densest at 4 °C?

Below about 4 °C, hydrogen bonds start forming a more open structure and water expands. Maximum density (0.99997 g/mL) is therefore near 4 °C, which is also why ice floats.

Can I convert 1 litre of rice or sugar the same way?

Yes, but use the bulk density, not the solid density, because of the air between grains. Bulk density has to be measured by weighing a container of known volume.

Measure density with the right equipment

Pycnometers, hydrometers, balances and TCI reagents are available at AMI Scientific, with formal quotations and tax invoices for laboratories.

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