GIFSQ Tools · Module 2 — Food Chemistry & Physicochemical Testing · Tool 31 of 500
Enter the mass and volume of a sample to get its density, the same value in kilograms per cubic metre, and its specific gravity against water at 20 °C.
Try sample values — fills the form with the worked example below.
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Density (g/mL)
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Density (kg/m³)
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Specific gravity
Equation: Density ρ = m ÷ V, where m is mass and V is volume. Density in kg/m³ = density in g/mL × 1000. Specific gravity = ρ ÷ ρwater, with ρwater = 0.998203 g/mL at 20 °C.
Method: Pycnometer / density bottle method, AOAC 962.37 and ISO 1183-1 — weigh a known volume at a stated temperature; specific gravity is reported against water at the same temperature.
Assumptions: the sample is uniform with no trapped air; mass and volume are measured at the same temperature; 1 mL = 1 cm³.
Limitations: density changes with temperature, so a value without a temperature is incomplete; viscous or aerated samples give a low reading if air is trapped; the water density used here is for 20 °C only.
Rounding: density to 3 decimal places, density in kg/m³ to 1 decimal place, specific gravity to 3 decimal places; intermediate values are not rounded.
This is a calculation aid, not a laboratory report — confirm against your accredited method before citing a value.
Method: Pycnometer / density bottle method, AOAC 962.37 and ISO 1183-1 — weigh a known volume at a stated temperature; specific gravity is reported against water at the same temperature.
Assumptions: the sample is uniform with no trapped air; mass and volume are measured at the same temperature; 1 mL = 1 cm³.
Limitations: density changes with temperature, so a value without a temperature is incomplete; viscous or aerated samples give a low reading if air is trapped; the water density used here is for 20 °C only.
Rounding: density to 3 decimal places, density in kg/m³ to 1 decimal place, specific gravity to 3 decimal places; intermediate values are not rounded.
This is a calculation aid, not a laboratory report — confirm against your accredited method before citing a value.
Worked example: 50.0 g of syrup in a 40.0 mL pycnometer. Density = 50.0 ÷ 40.0 = 1.250 g/mL; in SI units 1.250 × 1000 = 1250.0 kg/m³; specific gravity = 1.250 ÷ 0.998203 = 1.252.
Enter values above to see results.
Typical densities at 20 °C: water 0.998 g/mL, milk about 1.030 g/mL, honey about 1.420 g/mL, vegetable oil about 0.920 g/mL. Tool 31 of 500 — GIFSQ
