Density
Discussion
Confusion of mass and density. Objects have mass. Materials have density.
Density is the ratio of mass to volume for a material.
| ρ = | m |
| V |
Units
1,000 kg/m3 = 1,000 g/L = 1 g/cm3
Density of selected materials (~20 °C, 1 atm)
| material | density (kg/m3) |
|---|---|
| acetone | 790 |
| acid, acetic (CH3COOH) | 1,050 |
| acid, hydrochloric (HCl) | ???? |
| acid, sulfuric (H2SO4) | 1,390 |
| air, dry, 100 K | 3.606 |
| air, dry, 200 K | 1.769 |
| air, dry, 0 °C | 1.292 |
| air, dry, 15 °C | 1.225 |
| air, dry, 20 °C | 1.204 |
| air, dry, 25 °C | 1.184 |
| air, dry, 300 K | 1.177 |
| air, dry, 400 K | 0.882 |
| air, dry, 1,000 K | 0.353 |
| alcohol, ethyl (grain) | 789.2 |
| alcohol, isopropyl (rubbing) | 785.4 |
| alcohol, methyl (wood) | 791.3 |
| ammonia | 771 |
| aluminum | 2,700 |
| argon, gas, 15 °C | 1.690 |
| argon, liquid, 87 K | 1,395 |
| beer, pilsner, 4 °C | 1,008 |
| benzene | 870 |
| blood | 1,035 |
| body fat | 918 |
| bone | 1,900 |
| butane | 551 |
| butter | 911 |
| carbon | 2,250 |
| carbon, diamond | 3,539 |
| carbon dioxide, gas, 15 °C | 1.871 |
| carbon dioxide, liquid, −57 °C | 1178 |
| carbon dioxide, solid, −78 °C | 1,562 |
| copper | 8,960 |
| corn starch, loosely packed | 540 |
| corn starch, tightly packed | 630 |
| corn syrup | 1,380 |
| diesel | 800 |
| formaldehyde | 1,130 |
| freon 12, gas, 15 °C | 5.225 |
| freon 12, liquid, −30 °C | 1,487 |
| gasoline | 803 |
| glycerine | 1,260 |
| gold | 19,300 |
| grain, barley | 620 |
| grain, corn, shelled | 720 |
| grain, corn, ear | 900 |
| grain, flax | 770 |
| grain, millet | 640 |
| grain, oats | 410 |
| grain, rice, rough | 580 |
| grain, rice, hulled | 750 |
| grain, rye | 720 |
| grain, wheat | 770 |
| helium, gas, 15 °C | 0.1692 |
| helium, liquid, 4 K | 124.7 |
| hydrogen (H2), gas, 15 °C | 0.0852 |
| hydrogen (H2), liquid, 20 K | 70.52 |
| honey | 1,420 |
| iron | 7,870 |
| iridium | 22,400 |
| material | density (kg/m3) |
|---|---|
| kerosene | 810 |
| lard | 919 |
| lead | 11,350 |
| lithium | 534 |
| lithium 6 deuteride | 820 |
| lungs | 400 |
| mayonnaise, traditional | 910 |
| mayonnaise, light | 1,000 |
| methane, gas, 15 °C | 0.6797 |
| methane, liquid, 110 K | 422.4 |
| milk, cow, heavy cream | 994 |
| milk, cow, light cream | 1,012 |
| milk, cow, whole | 1,030 |
| milk, cow, skim | 1,033 |
| mercury | 13,546 |
| monosodium glutamate | 1,620 |
| nickel | 8,900 |
| nitrogen (N2), gas, 15 °C | 1.185 |
| nitrogen (N2), liquid, 77 K | 806.1 |
| oil, vegetable, coconut | 924 |
| oil, vegetable, corn | 922 |
| oil, vegetable, olive | 918 |
| oil, vegetable, palm | 915 |
| oil, vegetable, peanut | 914 |
| oil, vegetable, soya | 927 |
| osmium | 22,500 |
| oxygen (O2), gas, 15 °C | 1.354 |
| oxygen (O2), liquid, 90 K | 1,141 |
| perchlorethylene | 1,600 |
| platinum | 21,450 |
| plutonium, α | 19,860 |
| salt (sodium chloride) | 2,165 |
| silicon | 2,330 |
| silicon dioxide (quartz) | 2,600 |
| silicone | 993 |
| silver | 10,490 |
| skin | 1,050 |
| sodium bicarbonate | 2,200 |
| sugar, sucrose | 1,550 |
| sulfur hexafluoride (SF6), 15 °C | 6.256 |
| titanium | 4,500 |
| tungsten | 19,300 |
| tungsten carbide (WC) | 15,630 |
| uranium | 19,050 |
| water, liquid, 100 °C | 958.386 |
| water, liquid, 50 °C | 988.698 |
| water, liquid, 30 °C | 995.649 |
| water, liquid, 20 °C | 998.207 |
| water, liquid, 10 °C | 999.703 |
| water, liquid, 3.983 °C | 999.975 |
| water, liquid, 0 °C | 999.843 |
| water, ice, 0 °C | 916.7 |
| water, ice, −50 °C | 922 |
| water, ice, −100 °C | 927 |
| water, sea, surface, average | 1,025 |
| water, saline (0.9% NaCl) | 1,004 |
| xenon, gas, 15 °C | 5.584 |
| xenon, liquid, 165 K | 2,942 |
| zinc | 7,140 |
Average density of some celestial bodies
| object | density (kg/m3) |
|---|---|
| earth, average (♁) | 5,500 |
| earth, core | 12,500 |
| terrestrial planets (☿,♀,♂) | 3,900~5,200 |
| jovian planets (♃,♄,♅,♆) | 600~1,600 |
| pluto (♇) | 1,900 |
| comets | ~600 |
| sun, average (☉) | 1,400 |
| sun, core | 153,000 |
| object | density (kg/m3) |
|---|---|
| main sequence stars | 5~5,000 |
| giant to supergiant stars | 10−4~10−6 |
| white dwarf star | 105~109 |
| neutron star | 1017~1018 |
| stellar mass black hole | ~1018 |
| supermassive black hole | ~107 |
| observable universe | ~10−26 |
Density as a general concept.
- mass density
Mass density equations space algebraic calculus SI unit volume, volumetric, volumic ρ = m V ρ = dm dV ⎡
⎢
⎣kg ⎤
⎥
⎦m3 area, areal, areic, surface, superficial σ = m A σ = dm dΑ ⎡
⎢
⎣kg ⎤
⎥
⎦m2 line, linear, lineic λ = m ℓ λ = dm dℓ ⎡
⎢
⎣kg ⎤
⎥
⎦m - charge density, see charge
- current density, see current
- number density, especially in this book…
- particle density, see current and probably somewhere in thermal physics too
- turn density, see law-ampere and inductance.
- flux density (is a term I hate)
- electric field is sometimes called electric flux density (because some people just hate life)
- magnetic field is sometimes called magnetic flux density (or magnetic induction, which is a term that was surely invented just to cause pain in others)
- population density is a term from geography