Calculate density, mass or volume with the formula ρ = m ÷ V. Fill in two of the three fields and leave the third at 0, and the calculator works out the rest.
The density (ρ) of a substance tells you how much mass (m) is packed into a given volume (V). Ordinary water has a density of 1 kg/liter (equivalent to 1,000 kg/m³), and is often used as a natural reference point for other substances.
Ice has a slightly lower density than liquid water (about 0.92 kg/liter), which is exactly why ice floats on water instead of sinking — a substance with lower density than the liquid it's in will float.
Ice has a lower density than liquid water (about 0.92 kg/liter versus 1.0 kg/liter), because water molecules arrange into a more open lattice when water freezes. A substance with lower density than the liquid around it will always float, which is why ice cubes and icebergs float on water.
Pure water at room temperature has a density of about 1 kg/liter, equivalent to 1,000 kg/m³. This value is often used as a reference when comparing the density of other substances and materials.
One liter equals 0.001 m³, so you multiply the density in kg/liter by 1,000 to get the density in kg/m³. For example, 1 kg/liter becomes 1,000 kg/m³, the common SI unit for density.