How this calculator works
Density is mass divided by volume. A density conversion therefore combines a mass unit conversion with a volume unit conversion. The SI unit is the kilogram per cubic metre. The gram per cubic centimetre and the kilogram per litre happen to be equal, because 1 g/cm3 means 0.001 kg in 0.000001 m3, which is 1,000 kg/m3. The US customary units use the international pond and inch definitions, so 1 lb/ft3 is about 16.018 kg/m3.
Formula
density in kg/m3 = entered value x F(unit), where F is the kilogram-per-cubic-metre factor of the input unit. Factors include: kg/m3 1; g/cm3, g/mL, kg/L and t/m3 1,000; g/L 1; g/dL 10; mg/L 0.001; lb/ft3 16.01846337396; lb/in3 27,679.9047102; lb/yd3 0.593276421258; oz/in3 1,729.99404438; lb/US gal 119.826427317.
Worked example
Water at 1,000 kg/m3 is 1 g/cm3, 1 g/mL, 1 kg/L, 1 t/m3, 62.42796 lb/ft3 and 8.3454 lb/US gal. Gold at 19.3 g/cm3 is 19,300 kg/m3 and 1,204.8 lb/ft3.
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Frequently asked questions
Are g/cm3 and kg/L exactly the same?
Yes. One cubic centimetre is one millilitre, and one kilogram is 1,000 grams, so 1 g/cm3 and 1 kg/L are both 1,000 kg/m3.
Why does 1 g/cm3 not equal 1 lb/ft3?
A pound is about 454 grams and a cubic foot is about 28.3 litres, so a pound per cubic foot is a much smaller density. 1 g/cm3 equals about 62.428 lb/ft3.
Which pound is used?
The international avoirdupois pound of exactly 0.45359237 kg. The troy pound and the obsolete US survey foot are not used.