Volumetric flow rate can also be defined by:

where:

 v = flow velocity
 A = cross-sectional vector area/surface

The above equation is only true for flat, plane cross-sections. In general, including curved
surfaces, the equation becomes a surface integral:

This is the definition used in practice. The area required to calculate the volumetric flow rate
is real or imaginary, flat or curved, either as a cross-sectional area or a surface. The vector
area is a combination of the magnitude of the area through which the volume passes
through, A, and a unit vector normal to the area, nn. The relation is A = Ann.
The reason for the dot product is as follows. The only volume flowing through the cross-
section is the amount normal to the area, that is, parallel to the unit normal. This amount is:

where θ is the angle between the unit normal nn and the velocity vector v of the
substance elements. The amount passing through the cross-section is reduced by the
factor cos θ. As θ increases less volume passes through. Substance which passes
tangential to the area, that is perpendicular to the unit normal, does not pass through
the area. This occurs when θ = π/2 and so this amount of the volumetric flow rate is
zero:

These results are equivalent to the dot product between velocity and the normal
direction to the area.
When the mass flow rate is known, and the density can be assumed constant, this
is an easy way to get .
 Where:

 ṁ = mass flow rate (in kg/s).

 ρ = density (in kg/m ).
3

Formula
The formula used by this calculator to calculate the volume flow is:

Q=ṁ/ρ

Symbols

 Q = Volumetric flow rate

 ṁ = Mass flow rate
 ρ = Density
 You need to consider the density of the air, which varies with temperature and air
pressure. At 15 degrees Celsius, at sea level, the density of air is
1.225 kg/m3kg/m3. The table here gives air densities at 5 degree intervals.
 Now density is mass divided by volume,
 ρ=m/vρ=m/v
 Hence, to get the volume flow rate (in m3/sm3/s), for a know mass flow rate, divide
the mass flow rate (in kg/skg/s) by the density (in kg/m3kg/m3).
 Thus, a flow rate of 1kg/s1kg/s is,
 1/1.225=0.8163m3/s1/1.225=0.8163m3/s
 To get the mass flow rate for a know volume flow rate multiple the volume flow rate
by the air density.

Volume flow rate units m^3/s

Density units kg/m^3
Mass flow rate units kg/s
Then (kg/m^3) x (m^3/s) = kg/s

The Volume Flow Rate Equation

The basic equation for problems of this sort is

Q = AV
where Q is the volume flow rate, A is the cross-sectional area occupied by the flowing
material, and V is the average velocity of flow. V is considered an average because
not every part of a flowing fluid moves at the same rate. For example, as you watch
the waters of a river make their way steadily downstream at a given number of gallons
per second, you notice that the surface has slower currents here and faster ones there

Mass Flow Rate

Sometimes, you will want to know not just the volume of fluid moving per unit time, but
the amount of mass this represents. This is obviously critical in engineering, when it
must be know how much weight a given pipe or other fluid conduit or reservoir can
safely hold.

The mass flow rate formula can be derived from the volume flow rate formula by
multiplying the entire equation by the density of the fluid, ρ. This follows from the fact
that density is mass divided by volume, which also means that mass equals density
times volume. The volume flow equation already has units of volume per unit time, so
to get mass per unit time, you simply need to multiply by density.

The mass flow rate equation is therefore

ṁ = ρAV

ṁ, or "m-dot," is the usual symbol for mass flow rate.