Air Density calculator

Use the air density calculator to instantly find how tightly packed an object's
molecules are. This online calculator lets you estimate the ρ parameter basing on
the local temperature and pressure conditions. This value is vital for many further
calculations, such as determining the aerodynamic drag forces or the performance
of wind turbines. Continue reading to get a better understanding of the relationship
between the local weather and ρ, and learn what air density levels you can expect
in various regions.

The density of air depends on many factors and can vary in different places. It
mainly changes with temperature, relative humidity, pressure and hence
with altitude (take a look on the air density table below). The pressure of air can
be related to the weight of the air over a given location. It is easy to imagine that
the higher you stand, the less air is above you and the pressure is lower (check out
our definition of pressure!). Therefore, air pressure decreases with increasing
altitude. In the following text, you will find out what are air density at sea
level and standard air density.

You might also want to check out our speed of sound calculator which is a tool that
helps you calculate the speed of sound in dry air and water at any temperature.

What is the density of air? - density of air

at sea level
The density of air is usually denoted by a Greek letter ρ, and it measures the mass
of air per its unit volume. Dry air mostly consists of nitrogen (~78%) and oxygen
(~21%). The remaining 1% contains many different gases, among others, argon,
carbon dioxide, neon or helium. However, the air will cease to be dry air when
water vapor appears.

As a mixture of gases, air doesn't have a constant density; this value depends in
large on air composition. Most components have similar densities and don't
influence the overall density in a substantial way. One of the exceptions is the
water vapor; the more water vapor in the air, the lower its density.

For dry air, the density of air at sea level at a temperature of 59°F (15°C)and
pressure of 14.7 psi (1013.25 hPa) (mean sea-level pressure), is
approximately equal to 0.0765 lb/cu ft (1.225 kg/m³). If you change
the air temperature, humidity, or the altitude (and hence the pressure), the air
density will change, too. As a rule of thumb, you can expect a drop of 0.0022-
0.0023 lb/cu ft (0.035-0.036 kg/m³) per 1000 ft of altitude
change.
How to calculate the air density?
To find the air density at any given location, you will need some basic weather
parameters. You can usually find them at the website of your local weather station.

 Air pressure: the barometric pressure expressed in hPa. If the analyzed

location is at a high altitude, you can use our air pressure at altitude
calculator to establish a more accurate value for this parameter.
 Air temperature: simply, the outside temperature in °C.
 Relative humidity or dew point: our air density calculator is able to use one
of these values to compute the other, so you only need to know one of
them. Dew point is measured in °C, as it is the temperature below which
the water vapor starts to condensate.

The method of finding the air density is quite simple. You have to divide the
pressure exerted by the air into two partial pressures: of the dry air and of the water
vapor. Combining these two values gives you the desired parameter.

1. Calculate the saturation vapor pressure at dew point T, using the

formula p₁ = 6.1078 * 10^[7.5T /(T + 237.3].
Saturation vapor pressure means that the relative humidity is equal
to 100%.
2. Find the actual vapor pressure, multiplying this value by the relative
humidity: pv = p₁ * RH.
3. Subtract the vapor pressure from the total air pressure to find the
pressure of dry air: pd = p - pv.
4. Input the calculated values into the following formula:

ρ = (pd / (Rd * T)) + (pv / (Rv * T))

where:

 pd is the pressure of dry air in hPa,

 pv is the water vapor pressure in hPa,
 T is the air temperature in Kelvins,
 Rd is the specific gas constant for dry air equal to 287.058 J/(kg·K), and
 Rv is the specific gas constant for water vapor equal to 461.495 J/(kg·K).

Standard air density

Because temperature and air pressure vary from place to place, we need to define
reference air conditions. Recently, there is a variety of alternative definitions for
the standard conditions (for example in technical or scientific calculations). If you
study or work in the technology, engineering or chemical industry, you
should always check what standards were used by the author of the publication,
article or book you read. You must know what they meant by saying "standard"
conditions. Not only do the standards change on a regular basis, but they are
also set by various organizations (some have even more than one definition of
standard reference conditions). In the list below, you can find several standard
reference pressures p₀ and temperatures T₀ in current use (remember that there are
many more of them):

 International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry(IUPAC): Standard

Temperature and Pressure (STP), p₀ = 10⁵ Pa, T = 0 °C;
 Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST): ISO 10780, p₀ = 1
atm, T = 0 °C;
 International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO): International Standard
Atmosphere (ISA), p₀ = 1 atm, T = 15 °C;
 United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA): Normal
Temperature and Pressure (NTP), p₀ = 1 atm, T = 20 °C;
 International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry: Standard Ambient
Temperature and Pressure (SATP), p₀ = 10⁵ Pa, T = 25 °C;

So if you want to answer the question what is the standard air density, you should
choose the appropriate standard conditions. You can compute them with our air
density calculator with an assumption that relative humidity is relatively small (dry
air). For example, the standard air density for STP is ρ₀ = 1.2754 kg/m³,
for NTP is ρ₀ = 1.2923 kg/m³ and for SATP is ρ₀ = 1.1684 kg/m³.

Dominik Czernia, PhD student and Bogna Haponiuk